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Blood cultures are among the most important laboratory tests a patient can have, especially to diagnose serious infections. Contamination is a constant concern a patient could be misdiagnosed due to a false-positive test. Even with the most diligent quality control measures to limit contamination, including rigorous skin disinfection, contamination may occur from skin fragments colonised with bacteria that are dislodged with venipuncture. However, when initial specimen diversion (ISD) techniques are used, potential rates of contamination from skin fragments can drop to near zero.