The physical and psychological preparation you can provide for this or any test or procedure depends on your child's age, interests, previous experience, and level of trust. The needle prick is usually not painful. There may be some bruising at the site of the venipuncture . The blood culture will help identify the infection's origin. The results are used as a basis for determining appropriate antimicrobial therapy for treatment.
Positive results mean that bacteria are evident in the bloodstream.
Many organisms enter the bloodstream in the early stages of infection and can be identified so that proper treatment can be given. Bacteremia is generally intermittent, so a series of 3 blood cultures may be performed before a negative result is confirmed. Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.