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Blood Culture
MessageFungal blood cultures should be ordered as Lab242
Test Code
Lab462
Alias/See Also
BCUL
CPT Codes
87040
Preferred Specimen
Aerobic and anaerobic blood culture bottles (10 mL per bottle)
Minimum Volume
8 mL in each aerobic or anaerobic bottle; 2 mL pediatric bottle
Other Acceptable Specimens
Pediatric blood culture bottle (5 mL)
Instructions
Collect aseptically
Transport Container
Aerobic blood culture bottle
Anaerobic blood culture bottle
Pediatric blood culture bottle
Anaerobic blood culture bottle
Pediatric blood culture bottle
Transport Temperature
Ambient
Specimen Stability
Ambient – 8 hours
Methodology
Manual
Setup Schedule
Daily
Reference Range
No growth at 5 days
Clinical Significance
Identification of aerobic, anaerobic, and fungal organisms in blood.
The following is a very condensed list of the most commonly isolated blood pathogens:
1. Gram-positive cocci – Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, beta strep (group A and B), group D enterocci
2. Gram-negative rods – Escherichia coli, Proteus species, Klebsiella species, Pseudomonas species, Bacteroides species (anaerobe), Haemophilus species
3. Other – Candida, Cryptococcus, Gram-positive rods – Clostridium species (anaerobe)
NOTE: Certain organisms can contaminate cultures during collection and processing. Common contaminants are Staphylococcus epidermidis, micrococcus, diphtheroids, and bacillus (ie, most normal skin flora and environmentally encountered organisms). Helpful clues to distinguishing contaminants are: 1) growth of previous mentioned bacteria, especially in only 1 bottle and not in all cultures; 2) growth appearing late in the culture sequence – a long time after being drawn; and 3) failure to relate to clinical symptoms (lack of fever, etc.).
Under the following circumstances, blood cultures will be incubated beyond 5 days:
1. Patient with fever of unknown origin (21 days)
2. Patient diagnosed with Subacute bacterial endocarditis (21 days)
3. Blood cultures to rule out “EHECK” (14 days)
1. Gram-positive cocci – Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, beta strep (group A and B), group D enterocci
2. Gram-negative rods – Escherichia coli, Proteus species, Klebsiella species, Pseudomonas species, Bacteroides species (anaerobe), Haemophilus species
3. Other – Candida, Cryptococcus, Gram-positive rods – Clostridium species (anaerobe)
NOTE: Certain organisms can contaminate cultures during collection and processing. Common contaminants are Staphylococcus epidermidis, micrococcus, diphtheroids, and bacillus (ie, most normal skin flora and environmentally encountered organisms). Helpful clues to distinguishing contaminants are: 1) growth of previous mentioned bacteria, especially in only 1 bottle and not in all cultures; 2) growth appearing late in the culture sequence – a long time after being drawn; and 3) failure to relate to clinical symptoms (lack of fever, etc.).
Under the following circumstances, blood cultures will be incubated beyond 5 days:
1. Patient with fever of unknown origin (21 days)
2. Patient diagnosed with Subacute bacterial endocarditis (21 days)
3. Blood cultures to rule out “EHECK” (14 days)
Performing Laboratory
Meritus Microbiology
