We are pleased to announce the full recovery of BD BACTEC™ blood culture media globally.
We are pleased to announce the full recovery of BD BACTEC™ blood culture media globally. Production of all media formulations, inclusive of BD BACTEC™ Lytic Anaerobic media in plastic, have been restored to optimal inventory levels. Global production is now at full capacity and speed as we continue to ship product at a pace that exceeds historical demand for all BD BACTEC™ blood culture media.
This supply restoration enables clinicians to return to clinical best practice for blood culture collection. As guided by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)1 and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).2
We recognize the burden we placed on healthcare institutions across the country and want to sincerely thank you for your partnership in managing through this supply challenge. This recovery was only made possible with your support and through the efforts of hundreds of BD associates collaborating with our distribution and manufacturing partners.
The shortage in BD BACTEC™ blood culture media availability presented a significant challenge. It led to outcomes that we must avoid in the future. But it also ignited our push to build world-class resiliency in our supply chain. We’ve conducted risk assessments to mitigate future disruptions, strategically directed investment to increase capacity, continue to seek additional sourcing and manufacturing solutions for increased resiliency, and improve upon the communications channels we’ve built through this challenge.
Our supply chain is the lifeblood of BD. Our foremost priority is to create a reliable, predictable, resilient supply chain that delivers the highest quality products to our customers to meet patient needs. BD is emerging from this challenging period stronger, smarter, and determined to increase our readiness to react to and recover quickly from any disruption.
To all our customers and partners, thank you for your patience and collaboration through this challenging period. We remain fully committed to you and to advancing the world of health.
We are committed to ensuring a risk-resilient and sustainable supply chain for BD BACTEC™ plastic blood culture vials to prevent future shortages. BD has taken several actions to strengthen our processes, including:
Principles and Procedures for Blood Cultures, 2nd ed. CLSI guideline M47. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute; 2022
Miller J et al. Guide to Utilization of the Microbiology Laboratory for Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases: 2024 Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) , Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2024;, ciae104, https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciae104
The blood culture vial shortage disrupted clinical best practice for blood culture collection. While conservation was necessary during the supply shortage, these changes have compounded long-standing challenges in achieving optimal sepsis and bloodstream infection (BSI) detection.
With full recovery and availability of BD BACTEC™ blood culture media, we are committed to partnering with you to re-establish clinical best practice for blood culture collection to ensure accurate and timely detection of bloodstream infections and sepsis. We understand the challenges that you face and recognize the interdependencies between blood collection, blood culture processing, identification and susceptibility testing, reporting, and their combined impact on patient care. Make the connection across the entire bloodstream infection diagnostic pathway, from collection to result, to improve bloodstream infection (BSI) diagnosis and patient outcomes.
To support these efforts, a comprehensive approach is needed to optimize blood culture collection in three critical areas: aseptic technique, complete collection, and timely processing.
Aseptic technique ensures sample integrity by minimizing contamination, reducing false positives, and improving diagnostic accuracy. Following strict skin antisepsis protocols and sterile handling enhances diagnostic results and reduces the risk of misdiagnosis or delays in treatment or inappropriate treatment due to contamination.1-2
Complete collection focuses on using the right volume of blood, the right number of blood culture vials, and utilizing repeat cultures as necessary. Collecting 2-3 sets from different venipuncture sites within 24 hours enhances detection rates. Collecting properly filled bottles improves accuracy, reducing false negatives and enabling quicker, more accurate diagnoses.1,3 In some cases, repeat cultures may improve diagnostic accuracy and enable better patient outcomes.1,4-5
Timeliness is crucial for diagnosing and treating bloodstream infections. Transporting blood cultures promptly and at room temperature, or using near-patient incubation, reduces time to reportable results, leading to faster decision-making and effective treatment.1
Together, these three pillars provide a powerful framework for hospitals to enhance blood culture collection, improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce delays, and ultimately lead to better patient outcomes and more efficient healthcare delivery.6-8 BD is committed to working alongside your hospital to optimize these practices and ensure timely, accurate results and improved patient care.
This is the path to improving detection, enhancing care, and delivering better patient outcomes in today’s complex diagnostic landscape.
Speak with an expert on best practice for blood culture collection.
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