Critical Analysis of Commensal Flora Isolation in Blood Cultures at Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital: Focus on Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci

This retrospective study assessed the prevalence of Coagulase-Segative staphylococci (CoNS) and other commensal flora in blood cultures at Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital, Casablanca, over a 3-month period (April-June 2023). Of 844 blood cultures processed, 409 (48.4%) were positive. CoNS represented 21.7% of positive cultures (10.5% overall prevalence), predominantly isolated from intensive care units (52.8%) and pediatrics (22.5%). This prevalence significantly exceeds the 3% international quality threshold, highlighting the need for improved pre-analytical procedures and clinical-biological interpretation algorithms to distinguish true bacteremia from contamination.