Test Catalog
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Test Name: Blood Culture
Test Code: BLOODCULTURE
Cerner Synonyms: Blood Culture Pediatric, Blood Culture x2
Collection Container: Blood culture bottles (Collect 1 BacT/Alert FA Plus aerobic bottle & 1 FN Plus anaerobic bottle per set)
Minimum Volume: 8-10mL of blood per bottle; 2 bottles per blood culture set
Collection and Shipping Requirements: Deliver to Microbiology as soon as possible after collection. Leave in 35°C incubator or keep at room temperature.
Notes:
General Information:
Draw cultures from peripheral veins. Blood should not be taken through an indwelling catheter unless it cannot be obtained by venipuncture.
Information concerning antibiotic therapy MUST be stated. A clinical diagnosis is very helpful.
If any specific organisms are suspected, please indicate this (e.g., N. gonorrhoeae).
Two cultures are recommended; three cultures are acceptable; more than three cultures in a 24-hour period require approval by the Medical Microbiologist.
Special Indications that must be Noted on the Requisition:
• Brucella: Please indicate when Brucella is suspected. A culture for this organism is incubated for a longer time.
• Fungi: If yeast is suspected, use the BacT/Alert bottles as described previously. Indicate the order is for fungal culture as the incubation period will be extended to 21 days. If filamentous fungi is suspected (rare), collect 10 mL of blood in Wampole Isolator tube and name the suspected fungus when possible. Only one lysis centrifugation culture (Isolator tube) will be processed. Deliver directly to a technologist (or outside of regular hours, leave at room temperature).
• Mycobacteria (TB, atypical mycobacteria, M. avium, MAC): Use BacT/Alert MB bottle. Inoculate the vial with up to 5 mL of blood. Up to two cultures may be submitted.
• STAT request: The ordering physician must specify how many blood culture sets are to be drawn. Unless otherwise specified, the phlebotomist will draw 2 sets from separate venipuncture sites during one visit.
• Timed request: The ordering physician must specify how many blood culture sets are to be drawn. Typical orders are “blood culture x2” or “blood culture x3”.
