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Medicine vocabulary · Diagnosis and Tests

Blood culture

Meaning in medicine, with examples

nounCommon term

In medicine, blood culture means: A test in which blood is put into special bottles and incubated to see whether bacteria or fungi are growing in the bloodstream.

In Turkish: kan kültürü

How it is used

Usually plural: 'take' or 'send blood cultures', ideally before antibiotics are started. Results come back as 'no growth' or 'positive', with the organism and its sensitivities. Skin bacteria can contaminate the sample, so careful technique matters.

Example sentences

  1. Please take two sets of blood cultures before starting the antibiotics.

  2. His blood cultures grew E. coli.

Common collocations

  • take blood cultures
  • positive blood culture
  • blood culture bottles
  • sets of blood cultures
  • sepsisA life-threatening reaction to an infection in which the body's response starts to damage its own organs.
  • feverA body temperature higher than normal, usually above about 38 °C, often a sign that the body is fighting an infection.
  • antibioticA medicine that kills bacteria or stops them from growing, used to treat bacterial infections. It does not work against viruses.
  • infectionAn illness caused when bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites enter the body and multiply.
  • temperatureHow hot the body is, measured with a thermometer; patients and doctors also say someone 'has a temperature' when it is higher than normal.

More terms: Diagnosis and Tests

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.