Effect of sodium polyanethol sulfonate in blood cultures.

Fifteen-hundred hospital blood cultures were made in duplicate, with and without 0.05% sodium polyanethol sulfonate in the broth medium. A significantly higher rate and speed of recovery of both gram-positive cocci and gram-negative bacilli was accomplished in sodium polyanethol sulfonate broth. The effect was independent of the content of 0.1% agar in the growth medium. In the cases of Neisseria meningitidis septicemia examined, however, a detrimental result on recoveries was observed. The addition of sodium polyanethol sulfonate also resulted in an increased frequency of recoveries of contaminating organisms.