| Blood Culture (088-0431) | |
|---|---|
| Test Mnemonic: | C BLDN - Blood Culture Screen |
| Specimen Requirements: | |
| Test Included: | Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and yeast, organism identification and antimicrobial susceptibility, if appropriate |
| Collection: | Do not touch phlebotomy site after cleansing to prevent false positive culture growth. Use a syringe or butterfly to collect 20-30 ml of blood. Pediatric patients, collect 2-4 ml of blood, depending on the weight of the patient. Inject blood into the alcohol-cleaned aerobic and anaerobic blood culture bottles. |
| Container: | Bactec Bottles - Aerobic Plus (blue cap) and Anaerobe (yellow cap) or PEDS Plus (pink cap) |
| Minimum Volume: | 15-20 ml of whole blood evenly divided into two blood culture bottles (aerobic and anaerobic). If the patient is a difficult draw or a small volume of blood is available, inoculate one aerobic (Blue) with as much blood as possible and do not use the anaerobic bottle.
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| Storage/Transport: | Room temperature. Do not refrigerate. |
| Specimen Preparation: | Inject blood into the alcohol-cleaned aerobic and anaerobic blood culture vials. Inject 10-15 ml into the aerobic bottle; inject 10-15 ml into the anaerobic bottle. If a pediatric bottle is used, inject it with 2-4 ml of blood (min 0.5ml). |
| Stability: | 48 hours |
| Causes for Rejection: | Refrigerated bottles, submission of vials other than Bactec bottles, specimen container unlabeled or labeled incorrectly, no date and time of collection or collector information on order. |
| Reference Range: | No growth |
| Turnaround Time: | Cultures are held 5 days |
| Methodology: | Bactec FX - continuous monitoring instrument, then culture |
| Performed: | Clinical Microbiology |
| Synonyms: | Culture, blood; Bacterial blood culture; Brucella blood culture |
| Clinical Indication: | Suspected bloodstream infection with aerobic, anaerobic bacteria or yeast |
| Patient Preparation : | Use blood culture cleansing kit. Follow directions for adequate skin cleansing of the venipuncture site. Use Bactec Bottles - Aerobic Plus (blue cap) and Anaerobe (yellow cap) or PEDS Plus (pink cap); remove cap and cleanse with alcohol |
| CPT 4 Code: | 87040, additional if indicated
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| Note: | Collect specimens using aseptic technique since contamination may lead to false positive results. Collect two sets of cultures per febrile episode. Positive culture results are considered a critical value and notification will be performed upon recognition of the positive result. DO NOT COVER THE BOTTLE BAR CODE LABEL. Prior to use, inspect each bottle for evidence of contamination, damage or deterioration. Store Bactec bottles in a cool , dry place - out of direct sunlight. |
| When ordering tests for which Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement will be sought, physicians should only order tests that are medically necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of the patient. Components of the organ or disease panels may be ordered individually. The diagnostic information must substantiate all tests ordered and must be in the form of an ICD-10 code or its verbal equivalent. | |