Blood Culture Test Price in Kenya and hospitals offering the test

The blood culture test price in Kenya ranges from KES 700 to KES 7,600 depending on the facility and the exact type of test requested.

The blood culture test checks for bacteria in blood causing systemic infections that could result in sepsis. This blood culture test is mainly used in the diagnosis of endocarditis. This test involves a simple whole blood draw that is then cultured and later followed with a gram stain to identify the specific bacteria and even antibiotic susceptibility testing.

Blood culture is normally done on people who are at higher risk of developing a blood infection such as patients who have diabetes, cancer, HIV or AIDS, autoimmune infections, or previously had surgery. Blood culture is also done on newborns with high fevers and no other symptoms related to sepsis.

What is the blood culture test price in Kenya?

The blood culture is available in most private established labs as well as level 6 national public laboratories. Most labs include antibiotic susceptibility testing together with the blood culture test. Below are prices for the test as found on their websites online:

• Scan Lab Center in Nakuru offers the test for KES 4,300
• St. Patrick’s Healthcare Center in Nakuru charges KES 3,500 and the test takes 1 to 2 weeks.

• The Cerba Lancet Africa Laboratories, known for adhering to international standards of laboratory testing offers this test in four varieties:
• Anaerobic blood culture: KES 4,049 and takes 2 to 5 days.
• Aerobic blood culture: KES 4,049 with a TAT of 2 to 5 days.
• Pediatric aerobic blood culture: KES 4,749 and takes 2 to 5 days to get results.
• Anaerobic and aerobic blood culture: KES 7,349 and takes about 2 to 7 days to get results.
• Metropolis Star Lab Kenya offers the tests for KES 3330. They are located in Parklands Nairobi.
• Labora Diagnostics Center in Mombasa offers the test for KES 4000 inclusive of antibiotic susceptibility testing.
• Pathologist Lancet Kenya Laboratory charges KES 4,650 for the test. They are known for attaining accreditation from different international scientific bodies and have high-test accuracy levels.
• In Thika town, The Apex Specialist and Diagnostics Center offers the blood culture test for KES 4,370
• In Karen, Kajiado County, The Amber Medical and Travel Clinic charges KES 7,600 for the same test.
• Coast Provincial Teaching and Referral Hospital, a level 6 facility in Mombasa offers the test for KES 700 and this is inclusive of antibiotic sensitivity and resistance testing.
• The Kenyatta National Hospital, the largest referral hospital in the capital of Nairobi charges KES 750 for the blood culture test. They are well-equipped in terms of human resources and diagnostic equipment and are associated with the University of Nairobi Medical School.

• The Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu charges KES 1,000.

In comparison, the price of blood culture tests in Kenya is fairly affordable in public laboratories than in private laboratories.

Blood culture future price trends globally

With increasing trends and innovation in the laboratory medicine field, researchers estimate that the prices of blood culture tests will drop over time, and be more accessible to many. Such innovations and trends include:

1. Automation in blood culture testing will reduce the turn-around time of the test, reduce human errors and provide quicker results
2. There is an increasing shift towards molecular diagnostics such as (Polymerase chain reaction) PCR in diagnosing blood infections. Molecular diagnostics have proven to be very comprehensive in identifying pathogens unlike blood cultures
3. With an increase in the invention of point-of-care testing devices, soon there might be devices that replace blood culture testing resulting in easy accessibility, affordability, and quicker results to these services even in rural areas.
4. Public-private partnerships in the laboratory sector are on the rise. This trend can improve access and affordability of the blood culture test to many people both in rural and urban areas.
5. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are some of the inventions that are being adopted by other countries to give fast accurate diagnoses. In time, Kenya will also follow this trend.

Conclusion

This article has covered the blood culture test price in Kenya, the test’s definition, subsequent tests done, and even people who are indicated for this test. Also, we have seen some trends and innovations to look forward to concerning the blood culture test. Summed up, the blood culture test price in Kenya ranges from 700 to 7,600 with public hospital being cheaper. The test is crucial in diagnosing sepsis.