Implementation of a satellite incubator for blood cultures in a rehabilitation center: advantages and problems

Objectives: to evaluate the effectiveness of a blood culture management intervention consisting of the implementation of an incubator in a rehabilitation setting, 4 km from the Alessandria hospital and remotely connected to the central laboratory.
Methodology: the Borsalino Rehabilitation Center of Alessandria is 4 km far from the Microbiology laboratory, so the estimated time between collection and incubation is often greater than the recommended 4 hours, a factor that can compromise blood culture sensitivity and response times. To improve the diagnostic process, in June 2017 an incubator connected remotely with the Microbiology laboratory was introduced in the rehabilitation center.
Results: the microbiological results of two equivalent time periods were compared: 1^st July 2017 – 1^st July 2019, after the management intervention, 1^st May 2015 – 1^st May 2017, before the installation of the instrument.
Conclusions: placing an incubator in a "strategic" area for the timely incubation of blood cultures makes it possible to reduce the workload and improve results in terms of timing and quality