Annex 1: Bloodstream infection CDC’s criteria (2018).

Criterion 1: patient of any age has a recognized a pathogen, identified from one or more blood specimens, obtained by a culture, or identified by non-culture based microbiologic testing. No additional elements such as sign or symptoms are needed to meet criteria.2

Criterion 2: patient of any age has at least one of the following signs or symptoms: fever (> 38 oC), chills, or hypotension and the same common commensal organisms is identified by a culture, from two or more blood specimens collected on separate occasions included: diphtheroids (Corynebacterium spp. not C. diphtheria), Bacillus spp. (not B. anthracis), Propionibacterium spp., coagulase-negative Staphylococci (including S. epidermidis), S. viridans, Aerococcus spp. Micrococcus spp. and Rhodococcus spp.2

Criterion 3: patient ≤ 1 year of age has at least one of the following signs or symptoms: fever (> 38 oC), hypothermia (< 36 oC), apnea, or bradycardia and the same common commensal organisms is identified by a culture, from two or more blood specimens collected on separate occasions.2