Automatically produced note
Automated blood culture supplies: median price rose 23.6 times in one year
The median price for automated blood culture supplies went from $ 689 in 2025 to $ 16,260 in 2026, according to SICE data.
What was measured
The median price for catalog code 37256, corresponding to automated blood culture supplies, registered an increase of 23.6 times. The median price in 2025 was $ 689, while in 2026 it rose to $ 16,260. These values are derived from the median of 54 and 20 purchase lines, respectively.
The measured block
| Measured | Value | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Precio unitario mediano 2025 | $ 689 | mediana de 54 líneas del mismo código |
| Precio unitario mediano 2026 | $ 16.260 | mediana de 20 líneas del mismo código |
| Variación | 23,6× | cociente entre las dos medianas |
| Código de catálogo | 37256 | awards.items.classification.id (catálogo SICE) |
Reproduce this measurement:npx tsx src/jobs/daily-investigation.ts --lane=salto-precio --dry-run
Context
SICE (Integrated System of Public Procurement of the State) is the platform that records public purchases in Uruguay. Catalog code 37256 identifies supplies for automated blood cultures.
The rule it puts in play
No regulation sets the price of an item, and an inter-annual jump may reflect inflation, exchange rates, changes in the unit of measurement, or a different product under the same code. The measurement compares medians of the same catalog code, nothing more.
What is missing to say more
To understand the variation, it would be necessary to know if the change in the median price is due to inflation, exchange rate fluctuations, modifications in the unit of measurement, or if different products are being purchased under the same catalog code. Current public information does not allow for the breakdown of these factors.
Who should answer
The Ministry of Public Health, as the spending officer for these types of supplies, should explain the reasons behind the variation in the recorded prices.
Tell it where you can be protected
We publish what is in the open data. What isn't — the file, the message, what was said in the meeting — goes to Uruguay Leaks, the anonymous inbox run by la diaria, PODER and DATA Uruguay. The message is written for you: copy it, add what you know and paste it into their form.
Do not send it from your work computer or work email. Uruguay Leaks protects the submission, not the machine you send it from.
Uruguay Leaks is a project by la diaria, PODER and DATA Uruguay. We are not affiliated with them and receive no copy of what you send.