The cost of blood cultures: a barrier to diagnosis in low-income and middle-income countries
Peter Hyland, Jan Jacobs, Liselotte Hardy
Abstract
The recent Editorial by The Lancet Microbe, titled Rethinking blood culture, highlights the blood culture bottle shortage in the USA and the overreliance on single manufacturers.1 The shortages of blood culture bottles in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) have also been addressed. Blood culture, the gold standard for the diagnosis of blood stream infections, is included in the WHO Essential Diagnostics List.2 However, its availability in sub-Saharan Africa remains low, with only 1% of the laboratories conducting bacterial testing.
Topics & Concepts
Low and middle income countriesLow incomeMiddle incomeDemographic economicsDeveloping countryEconomicsEconomic growthBacterial Identification and Susceptibility TestingStreptococcal Infections and TreatmentsAntibiotic Resistance in Bacteria