Specimen Requirements

Specimen Type: Blood

Collection Container/Tube: 

BACTEC ^TM Blood culture bottle supplied by Alomere Hospital Laboratory

Collection Requirements:

Adult Blood Culture Vials (one AER Plus and ANA Lytic per set)

Preferred Volume: 8-10 mL each

Minimum Volume: 3 mL per vial

Pediatric Blood Culture Vials

Preferred Volume: 3 mL

Minimum Volume: 1 mL

Collection Instructions:

1.  After choosing a suitable site, the area is thoroughly cleansed with an alcohol prep first, then a chloraprep pad with back and forth strokes for 30 seconds, allow to dry.

2.  The tops of the blood culture bottles are cleansed with an alcohol prep. Mark level on bottle before adding blood.

3.  Instead of Prevantics Chloraprep pad, use betadine for anyone < 2 months of age.

4.  Draw blood into blood culture bottles using a Vacutainer butterfly, fill aerobic bottle first.

5.  Alternative Collection:

Use a 20 cc Syring. Change needle before inoculating bottle. Measure required amount of blood into bottle. Mark level on bottle before adding blood.  Do not vent the bottle.

6.  If other specimens are to be drawn at the same time, be sure to fill the blood culture bottles first to avoid contamination, or prep any tubes used before blood culture tubes.