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Blood Cultures

Laboratory:Microbiology
Test Code:BL C
Specimen Types:Blood
Container Types:
Blood Culture BottlesBlood Culture Bottles
Adults Volume or Mass:10 mL
Minimum/Paediatric Volume or Mass:4 mL
Collection & Request Instructions:

1. Collect blood cultures prior to commencement of antibiotic therapy.

2. Remove plastic flip top from culture bottle and disinfect with an alcohol pad or equivalent. This is important because the bottle septum is not sterile.

3.  Adult: 10mL of blood per bottle

  Paediatric: 4 mL of blood per bottle.

Line demarcations on the bottle label should be used to assist in estimating the sample volume.

4. Do not use of blunt needles or coring devices to puncture the stopper. These prevent sealing of the inoculation hole, leading to aeration or allowing the sample to leak.

5. The barcode labels on the bottle are for laboratory use ONLY. Do not remove or obscure the peel-off stickers.

Transport Instructions between Sites and/or Laboratories:Room Temperature
Assay Frequency:Daily
Additional Notes:

Green top aerobic bottle

Orange top anaerobic bottle

Yellow top paediatric bottle

Cultures are incubated for 5 days. A negative report is issued after 48 hours. All positive blood culture Gram stains are phoned through to the Doctor responsible for patient care.