- Test Name:
- Body fluid culture, sterile (Edmonton/Central/North)
- Body Source(s):
-
Amniotic/amniocentisis fluid
Aspirate fluid
Fluid - cul-de-sac/culdocentesis
Fluid - pericardial
Fluid - peritoneal/abdominal/ascites/paracentesis
Fluid - pleural/thoracentesis/empyema
Fluid aspirate - cyst
Fluid aspirate - hematoma
Fluid, joint - native/bursa/synovial
-
Clinical Prerequisite(s):
-
Provision of relevant, clinical information is important to ensure a clinically relevant result
Always provide/record:
• specimen source
• current antibiotic therapy and start date
• clinical history - include: symptoms, signs, duration
• Indicate clearly, if yeast culture is required
- Collection Device/Tube Type:
-
10 mL sterile tube
60 mL sterile, plastic container
Anaerobic transport system (eg. Port-A-Cul or equivilant)
BACTEC blood culture vial
Peritoneal dialysis bag
Sterile tube containing SPS
- Comments:
-
Do not submit specimen in containers with any of the following microbial inhibitory substances:
• Heparin
• EDTA
• Citrate
Peritoneal dialysis bag: Submit the entire bag
- Specimen Requirement(s):
-
Preferred Specimen: Fluid
• Collect prior to antimicrobial therapy for greatest diagnostic sensitivity
• Submission of a swab of sterile fluid for culture is suboptimal
- Collection Instructions:
-
1. Aseptically perform aspiration
2. Expel any air bubbles from the syringe
3. Clean BACTEC bottle septum with 70% isopropyl alcohol
If >/= 8 mL available submit as below:
Required:
Submit:
8 – 10 mL
BACTEC aerobic blood culture bottle
8 – 10 mL
BACTEC Lytic anaerobic bottle (if anaerobic culture is required)
If < 8 mL available submit as below:
Up to 3 mL
BACTEC Peds Plus/F bottle
4. Retain and submit at least 1-3 ml of fluid for Gram stain and direct planting in one of the following:§ Port-A-Cul anaerobic transport system
§ Sterile 10 mL tube
§ Sterile 60 ml plastic container (orange-top)
§ If specimen clotting likely to occur, fluid may be placed in a sterile tube containing SPS
Note:
· Swabs should ONLY be submitted when an extremely low fluid quantity is obtained – place inoculated swab into anaerobic transport media
- Handling and Storage:
-
Room temperature
- Handling/Storage Comments:
-
- Transport to the testing laboratory as soon as possible after collection
- Ensure container does not leak and lid is not cross-threaded
- Rejection Criteria:
-
Mislabelled or unlabelled specimen/requisition
- Turnaround Times
- See Microbiology Information»
- Last Reviewed:
- 28 June 2023
