A blood culture indicates what kind of medicine will work best to treat your pneumonia, which is caused by different types of bacteria. A blood culture is a
test that the healthcare provider uses to determine which bacteria may
have caused your pneumonia
and which antibiotic should be prescribed.
Why this is important:
It is best to do the blood culture within
24 hours of arrival at the hospital and before antibiotics are started. It is also
important to start antibiotics as soon as possible. A blood culture helps your healthcare provider give you the best treatment and indicates if any precautions are necessary to
prevent the spread of your illness.
The chart above shows the percentage of pneumonia patients that were given a blood culture test before antibiotics were started.