A blood culture is a test that checks for foreign invaders like bacteria, yeast, and other microorganisms in your blood. Having these pathogens in your bloodstream can be a sign of a blood infection, a condition known as bacteremia. A positive blood culture means that you have bacteria in your blood.
Blood cultures are ordered when your doctor suspects you may have a blood infection. It’s important to test for blood infections because they can lead to serious complications.
If the blood culture is positive, this means you have a bacterial or yeast infection in your blood.
