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Test Code LAB462 Blood Culture

Performing Laboratory

Barnes-Jewish Hospital Laboratory

Methodology

This culture is intended for the isolation of aerobic bacteria, anaerobic bacteria, and yeast from blood.


Note: If endemic/dimorphic fungi or mold are suspected, see Mold Blood Culture (LAB242).

Specimen Requirements

Acceptable Specimens:

Blood (routine): Blood drawn into 1 BacT/Alert FA Plus (green top) aerobic bottle and 1 BacT/Alert FN Plus (orange top) anaerobic bottle (1 blood culture set).

Labeling procedure:

  1. Specimen source is required.
  2. If Actinomyces is suspected, indicate on request form "Look for Actinomyces".
  3. If Brucella or Francisella are suspected, indicate on request form and call to alert the laboratory.


Collection Procedure:

1 blood culture set:  BacT/Alert FA Plus (green top) aerobic bottle and BacT/Alert FN Plus (orange top) anaerobic bottle 

1. Apply ChloraPrep solution (CHG) using back-and-forth friction. Scrub for 30 seconds. Let CHG dry completely.
2.  Remove flip top lid of bottles.  Disinfect rubber diaphragm on top of each bottle with an alcohol prep. Let dry completely.

3. Aseptically draw blood and distribute it into bottles according to the chart below.  Do not overfill or underfill bottles.
4. Maintain sterility, place in sealable biohazard bag and forward promptly. 

< 0.5 mL Place entire contents into BacT/Alert FA Plus (green top) aerobic bottle.
<1 mL but > 0.5 mL Place 0.5 mL in the BacT/Alert FA Plus (green top) aerobic bottle and the remainder in the BacT/Alert FN Plus (orange top) anaerobic bottle.
1 mL – 20 mL Distribute equally into 1 BacT/Alert FA Plus (green top) aerobic bottle and 1 BacT/Alert FN Plus (orange top) anaerobic bottle.

Note: It is optimal to collect 3 blood culture sets from a patient within a 24-hour period. Each culture should be separated by a minimum of 15 to 30 minutes unless collection will delay initiation of antibiotic therapy.

Blood (Suspected Pathogen: Brucella or Francisella): 10 mL in Isolator 10 tube
1. Clean top of anaerobic transport device with alcohol prep and allow to dry completely.
2. Aseptically collect specimen as per normal protocol.
3. Inject > 1 mL into one, 1.5-mL Isolator tube.
4. Mix tube immediately by inverting 4 to 5 times.
5. Maintain sterility and forward promptly. Do not send via pneumatic tube system.

Day(s) Test Set Up

Monday through Sunday

Turnaround Time:
STAT: not available
Routine: Blood, routine (aerobic bacteria and yeasts) and anaerobic: final negative report after 4 days of incubation
Blood, suspected pathogen Brucella: final negative report after 7 days of incubation
Blood, suspected pathogen Franciscella:  final negative report after 7 days of incubation

Test Classification and CPT Coding

87040

Reference Values

Blood, routine (aerobic bacteria and yeasts) and anaerobic:  negative report after 4 days
Blood, suspected pathogen Brucella:  negative report after 7 days
Blood, suspected pathogen Franciscella:  negative report after 7 days
Physician alert value (automatic call-back):  initial positive culture per admission

Literature Reference:

Isenberg HD, ed. Clinical microbiology procedures handbook. 2nd ed. Washington DC: American Society for Microbiology; 2004;3.4.1.1-3.4.1.6.

Specimen Transport Temperature

Ambient/Refrigerate NO/Frozen NO

Specimen stability: 24 hours

Additional Information

For BJH Laboratory Use Only


Laboratory Processing Instructions:
Test performed in BJH Microbiology.

Special Instructions

Blood Culture Label Placement Guide