Objective To study and analyze the positive blood cultures from patients of our paediatric department between 2000 and 2006.

Methods Retrospective review of medical records from children (aged 1 month to 14 years old) who had positive blood culture either in the paediatric emergency department or during hospitalization in a paediatric ward over a seven year period.

Results 67 children had a positive blood culture between 2000 and 2006. N. meningitidis was the most frequently isolated pathogen. It was observed in 20 cases (29.8%). In the rest of the cases the pathogens isolated were: E. coli in 15 patients (22.4%), S. pneumoniae in 14 (20.9%), S. aureus in 14 (20.9%) and Brucella in 4 cases (6%). 10 patients with N. meningitidis also had meningitis (1 died), 13 patients with E. coli had pyelonephritis, 9 children with S. pneumoniae had pneumonia and 2 meningitis, 8 children with S. aureus had septic arthritis or osteomyelitis. 43 of the children had age between 1 month and 1 year (64.2%).

Conclusions The most common pathogen isolated in positive blood cultures in children is N. meningitidis. E. coli, S. pneumoniae and S. aureus are also very common pathogens. Noteworthy in our area is also the isolation of the Brucella in blood cultures because of the contact of children with animals having the disease. Most of the children with positive blood culture were <1 year of age and had also serious diseases.