PEDIATRICS Vol. 32 No. 6 December 1963, pp. 1097-1099
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Observations on Blood Cultures with Exchange Transfusion of the Newborn Infant

RICHARD B. JOHNSTON JR. M.D.1 and SARAH H. SELL M.D.1

1 Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee

Two hundred seventy-one blood cultures taken with exchange transfusions of 80 newborn infants were studied. It was found that 13.4% of the pre-exchange and 3.6% of the post-exchange cultures were positive. Fifteen patients had positive cultures; thirteen of these patients were referred from other hospitals. Most of the bacteria isolated are common inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract. The possibility is discussed that contamination from the umbilical cord can be reduced by discarding the first blood withdrawn. Further studies are needed to determine the significance of blood cultures which are positive at the time of exchange transfusion.