- Test Name:
- Blood culture, routine (Edmonton/Central/North)
-
Ordering Information:
-
For bacterial and yeast cultures
- Organism(s)/Disease(s):
-
Endocarditis (infective)
Sepsis
Septicaemia/septicemia
Typhoid fever.
Typhoid/Paratyphoid fever
Yeast, Candidemia
- Body Source(s):
-
Blood, arterial
Blood, central line
Blood, ECMO
Blood, peripheral
Blood, umbilical cord
Blood, venous
-
Clinical Prerequisite(s):
-
Collection site should be peripheral if possible, not including peripheral venous or arterial lines, unless drawn at the time of insertion. Always record:
- Collection site
- Any antibiotic therapy, dose, route, and start date
- Clinical history and suspected diagnosis
- Specify endocarditis if suspected
- Requisition/Forms:
-
Important information regarding timing and volumes of collections
Refer to Update on Adult Blood Culture Collection – Increase in Blood Volume Recommended (Laboratory Bulletin, 08 August 2019)
Important information regarding prolonging incubation of bacterial and fungal blood culture
Refer to Discontinuation of Prolonged Incubation of Bacterial and Fungal Blood Cultures (Laboratory Bulletin, 02 July 2019) - Collection Device/Tube Type:
-
BACTEC blood culture vial
- Comments:
-
Patient Age
Venipuncture site #1
Venipuncture site #2
Total Collection Volume
Sets
>/= 10 yrs and
> 30 kg
· 1 aerobic vile (10 mL) blue top
· 1 anaerobic vial (10 mL) purple top
· 1 aerobic vial (10 mL) blue top
· 1 anaerobic vial (10 mL) purple top
40 mL*
2 sets*
(4 vials total)
> 1mo to < 10 yrs
1 Peds Plus vial (1-5 mL) pink top
1 Peds Plus vial (1-5 mL) pink top
2 – 10 mL **
Single Set
(2 bottles)
* Denotes update
** Refer to (Maximum Draw in Pediatric Patients (under 14 years of age), Collection of Blood Culture, page 8
Neonates
(0 – 1 mo)
1 Peds Plus vial (1-5 mL) pink top
N/A
1.0 – 1.5 mL
Single Set
(1 bottle)
- Specimen Requirement(s):
-
- Collection Instructions:
- Refer to: Appendix 1, page 8, Collection of Blood for Culture procedure
- Handling and Storage:
-
Room temperature
- Handling/Storage Comments:
- Submit collected specimen to the laboratory as soon as possible, preferably within 4 hours of collection
- Rejection Criteria:
- Mislabelled or unlabelled specimen(s)/requisition
- Turnaround Times
- See Microbiology Information»
- Comments:
-
Additional Clinical / Other Considerations:
· Test indications
· Fungal/mycobacterial collections
· Patients with indwelling intravascular catheters
· Patients already on antibiotics
· More . . . .
Refer to Update on Adult Blood Culture Collection – Increase in Blood Volume Recommended (Laboratory Bulletin, 08 August 2019)
- Last Reviewed:
- 06 May 2023
