• ESwab™ (Collection Instructions)
• 0.5 mL pus or other fluid from aspirated site in syringe with needle removed and replaced with a cap.
• Pus tissue, or other material properly obtained from an abscess, biopsy, aspirate, drainage, exudate, lesion, or wound.
• Body fluid: peritoneal, thoracentesis, pericardial, amniotic or culdoncentesis fluid.  Asceptically collect body fluid into a sterile container (prefered), or an anaerobic vial or anaerobic culturette (2.0 - 20.0 mLs).

Specimens will also be cultured for aerobic growth.
Some anaerobes will be destroyed by contact with oxygen for only a few seconds. Overlying and adjacent areas of the wound/abscess must be carefully disinfected to eliminate contamination with normal aerobic flora. Ideally, pus or other fluid obtained by needle aspiration is transported to the lab as soon as possible in a capped syringe. Sampling of open lesions is enhanced by deep aspiration using a sterile catheter. Curettings of base of an open lesion are optimal. If irrigation is necessary, sterile normal saline may be used.

• Nonsterile or leaking container
• Dry swab
• Dry material
• Syringes with needles attached
• Specimens submitted with anticoagulant other than SPS
• Frozen specimens
• Specimens from sites which have anaerobic bacteria as normal flora will be rejected (e.g., throat, feces, colostomy sites, rectal swabs, bronchial washes, cervical-vaginal mucosal swabs, sputum, skin and superficial wounds, voided or catheterized urine, and decubitus ulcer).
• Specimen which is not received in anaerobic transport swab are unnacceptable.

• ESwab™:  transport room or refrigerated within 48 hours.
• Body fluids: room temperature

Culture of specimens from sites harboring endogenous anaerobic organisms or contaminated by endogenous organisms may be misleading with regard to etiology and appropriate therapy. Gram stain performed. Organism identification is performed when clinically relavant organisms are suspected. Antimicrobial susceptibilities are performed on clinically relevant isolates when appropriate, following mentods (s) recommended by CLSI. Call Laboratory for list of routine susceptibility panels.

See CSFCU, Culture, Cerebrospinal fluid, for CSF specimens

See SYNCU, Culture, Synovial fluid, for all joint fluid specimens.  Gram stain not included with this culture.  A separate gram stain must be ordered if needed.

Results in 24-72 hours. Preliminary report at 24 hours. Complete reports of cultures with anaerobic bacteria may take as long as 5 days after receipt of culture, depending upon the nature of the organisms isolated. Final report is at 5 days.