Formal Name
Culture, blood
This article was last reviewed on
This article waslast modified on 26 September 2018.
At a Glance
Why Get Tested?

To check for the presence of a systemic infection. The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance NG51 recommends that all patients with suspected sepsis should have a sample collected for blood culture testing.

When To Get Tested?

When you have signs or symptoms of sepsis like fever, chills, feeling sick, confusion and tiredness which may develop during another illness, such as a urinary tract infection (UTI), pneumonia or a skin infection

Sample Required?

Two or more blood samples taken from separate sites (commonly from veins in your arms) into special bottles which contain a solution to help bacteria and yeast cells grow

Test Preparation Needed?

No test preparation is needed

On average it takes 7 working days for the blood test results to come back from the hospital, depending on the exact tests requested. Some specialist test results may take longer, if samples have to be sent to a reference (specialist) laboratory. The X-ray & scan results may take longer. If you are registered to use the online services of your local practice, you may be able to access your results online. Your GP practice will be able to provide specific details.

If the doctor wants to see you about the result(s), you will be offered an appointment. If you are concerned about your test results, you will need to arrange an appointment with your doctor so that all relevant information including age, ethnicity, health history, signs and symptoms, laboratory and other procedures (radiology, endoscopy, etc.), can be considered.

Lab Tests Online-UK is an educational website designed to provide patients and carers with information on laboratory tests used in medical care. We are not a laboratory and are unable to comment on an individual's health and treatment.

Reference ranges are dependent on many factors, including patient age, sex, sample population, and test method, and numeric test results can have different meanings in different laboratories.

For these reasons, you will not find reference ranges for the majority of tests described on this web site. The lab report containing your test results should include the relevant reference range for your test(s). Please consult your doctor or the laboratory that performed the test(s) to obtain the reference range if you do not have the lab report.

For more information on reference ranges, please read Reference Ranges and What They Mean.

What is being tested?

Blood cultures are performed to detect and identify bacteria and yeasts (a type of fungus) in the blood. Infections of the bloodstream are caused most commonly by bacteria (bacteraemia), but can also be caused by a fungus (fungaemia) or a virus (viraemia). The source of the infection is typically a specific site within the body. If the immune defences and white blood cells cannot keep the infection localised at its source it may...

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