AUTHOR=Ogrodny Andrzej J. , Mani Rinosh , Schmid Sarah M. , Gould Emily N. , Fellman Claire L. , DeStefano Ian , Shropshire Sarah , Haines Jillian M. , Bolton Timothy A. , Jablonski Sara A. , Jess Nicole , Cridge Harry TITLE=Multi-institutional retrospective study investigating blood culture protocols and test positivity in 701 dogs JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science VOLUME=10 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2023.1301018 DOI=10.3389/fvets.2023.1301018 ISSN=2297-1769 ABSTRACT=Objectives

(i) To determine the influence of specimen collection protocol (timing and specimen quantity), primary disease process, and pre-existing antimicrobial or immunosuppressive therapy on blood culture (BC) positivity and (ii) To determine agreement between urine culture and BC results.

Animals

701 client-owned dogs.

Methods

Multi-institutional retrospective study (2019–2022). Mixed-effect logistic regression was used to determine whether primary disease process, the number of BCs, or the timing of specimen collection was associated with BC positivity. Prediction plots were generated. Associations between urine culture and BC results were performed using logistic regression.

Results

Dogs with a positive urine culture were more likely to have a positive BC (OR: 4.36, 95% CI: 2.12–8.97, p = 0.003). Dogs that had three BC specimens had the greatest odds of obtaining a positive BC result (adjusted predictive value: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.21–0.70), although this was not significant. Isolates from 38.5% of dogs with a positive BC had resistance to ≥3 antimicrobial classes. The timing between specimen collection had no significant association with BC positivity. Pre-existing antibiotic or immunosuppressive therapy had no significant association with BC positivity.

Clinical relevance

Dogs with a positive urine culture were more likely to have a positive BC result.