Do not cover barcode and expiration date
Contact the IDDL for more information.
Blood collected in a plastic blood culture bottle. Use bottle with Silver rim top for Aerobic collections. Each site/lumen requires a new order.
Do not cover bottle barcode and expiration date. Label bottle so the entire set of bar code labels can be seen.
If sending blood culture bottles via pneumatic tube system, only send one blood bottle per pneumatic tube.
Bone marrow should not be submitted in a blood culture bottle; for instructions on how to submit bone marrow, please refer to the "Sterile Body Fluid Culture" procedure.
Unacceptable Conditions
Expired blood cutlure bottles will REJECTED
Bottles should not be refrigerated. Stoppers should not be removed from bottle. All needles should be removed from bottle before sending to the lab.
Storage/Transport Temperature
Container Type
Transport conditions
Philadelphia campus only
Bactec Blood culture collection vial (silver top)
Ambient
Preferred (submit immediately)
Refrigerated (2-8oC)
Unacceptable
Frozen (-20oC)
Unacceptable
Outpatient/Ambulatory/KOPH
Bactec Blood culture collection vial (silver top)
Ambient
Preferred (submit immediately)
Refrigerated (2-8oC)
Unacceptable
Frozen (-20oC)
Unacceptable
Stability (from collection to initiation)
Preferably, all samples should be sent immediately after collection and received in the laboratory within 2 hours of collection.
Remarks
Patient safety: If the source/site collected does not match the source/site ordered, must obtain a new order that correlates with the correct source.
Volume Required
Recommended Volumes:
<5 kg: suggested minimum 1 ml (can collect 1-4 ml, higher volumes optimize sensitivity for organism detection)
>5 kg: 4 ml
Maximum volume: 4 mL
Minimum Required
Minimum Required: If unable to collect recommended volume, collect as much as is possible to maximize yield. Blood cultures with <1 mL are accepted by the laboratory but will have reduced sensitivity.
Phlebotomy Draw
Yes
Ordering Recommendations
The source ordered should match the source collected. See "Anaerobic Blood Culture" for appropriate ordering/collecton when anaerobic organism detection is required.
Performing Lab
Infectious Disease Diagnostics Laboratory
Performed
Daily
Methodology
Continuous monitoring instrumentation
Reported
Preliminary report on Day 1; final as negative in 5 days
Available STAT
No
CPT Codes
87040
Collection
Collect
Do not cover barcode and expiration date
Contact the IDDL for more information.
Blood collected in a plastic blood culture bottle. Use bottle with Silver rim top for Aerobic collections. Each site/lumen requires a new order.
Do not cover bottle barcode and expiration date. Label bottle so the entire set of bar code labels can be seen.
If sending blood culture bottles via pneumatic tube system, only send one blood bottle per pneumatic tube.
Bone marrow should not be submitted in a blood culture bottle; for instructions on how to submit bone marrow, please refer to the "Sterile Body Fluid Culture" procedure.
Unacceptable Conditions
Expired blood cutlure bottles will REJECTED
Bottles should not be refrigerated. Stoppers should not be removed from bottle. All needles should be removed from bottle before sending to the lab.
Storage/Transport Temperature
Container Type
Transport conditions
Philadelphia campus only
Bactec Blood culture collection vial (silver top)
Ambient
Preferred (submit immediately)
Refrigerated (2-8oC)
Unacceptable
Frozen (-20oC)
Unacceptable
Outpatient/Ambulatory/KOPH
Bactec Blood culture collection vial (silver top)
Ambient
Preferred (submit immediately)
Refrigerated (2-8oC)
Unacceptable
Frozen (-20oC)
Unacceptable
Stability (from collection to initiation)
Preferably, all samples should be sent immediately after collection and received in the laboratory within 2 hours of collection.
Remarks
Patient safety: If the source/site collected does not match the source/site ordered, must obtain a new order that correlates with the correct source.
Volume Required
Recommended Volumes:
<5 kg: suggested minimum 1 ml (can collect 1-4 ml, higher volumes optimize sensitivity for organism detection)
>5 kg: 4 ml
Maximum volume: 4 mL
Minimum Required
Minimum Required: If unable to collect recommended volume, collect as much as is possible to maximize yield. Blood cultures with <1 mL are accepted by the laboratory but will have reduced sensitivity.
Phlebotomy Draw
Yes
Ordering
Ordering Recommendations
The source ordered should match the source collected. See "Anaerobic Blood Culture" for appropriate ordering/collecton when anaerobic organism detection is required.
Performing Lab
Infectious Disease Diagnostics Laboratory
Performed
Daily
Methodology
Continuous monitoring instrumentation
Reported
Preliminary report on Day 1; final as negative in 5 days
