All patients with positive blood cultures from May 2005 to
September 2014 were screened using our laboratory database. SAGpositive
blood cultures were identified and investigated using
electronic medical records. If more than two blood cultures were
positive for SAG, the patient was considered to have had true
bacteremia. Also, cases where only one blood culture grew SAG and
where the clinical judgement of plural infectious diseases expertise
was consistent with SAG bacteremia, the cases were considered to
be true bacteremia. If only one blood culture was positive and there
was no other sign of sepsis, it was considered to be a result of
contamination.