What is the recommended procedure for obtaining blood cultures in patients with fever of unexplained origin and a pathological heart murmur, a history of heart disease, or previous endocarditis?
It is recommended to obtain 3 blood cultures by separate venipunctures on the first day, and if there is no growth by the second day of incubation, to obtain 2 or 3 more (Table 3) (Class IIa; Level of Evidence B).