Is the blood culture useful in febrile immunocompetent patients in the Emergency Department?

Blood culture was commonly performed, without any specific indication, at the Emergency Department. However, the true positive rate was found to be very low (1.8–5%) and patients with true bacteremia usually had such risk factors as an indwelling catheter, severe underlying disease or an immunocompromised state. This study was performed to determine the usefulness of performing blood culture for managing febrile immunocompetent patients who present to the Emergency Department.