Cellulitis and community acquired pneumonia are common admitting diagnoses at SFGH. Blood cultures, even if obtained before antibiotics, are low yield and unlikely to change management in most cases where the patient is admitted to the floor. Similarly, patients admitted to the floor with cellulitis seldom have true positive blood cultures, particularly when the patient is afebrile. Reducing unnecessary blood cultures not only reduces the costs associated with the test itself but also reduces costs (and potentially adverse outcomes) associated with blood cultures that are positive due to skin contaminants.

Proposed site: San Francisco General Hospital