Specimen Requirements

Specimen must arrive within 2 hours of collection.

Collect specimen using blood culture set:  1 aerobic bottle and 1 anaerobic bottle.

Preparation of Patient and Collection of Blood

1. Disinfect culture bottle; apply ChloraPrep® to rubber stoppers and wait 1 minute.

2. Palpate vein before disinfection of venipuncture site.

3. Swab arm using back and forth motion with sponge for approximately 30 seconds.

4. Allow ChloraPrep® solution to dry (1 minute).

5. Do not palpate vein after this point without sterile gloves.

6. Collect blood as follows:

A. Adults:  20 mL per set (higher volume most productive). Fill aerobic bottle first.

B. Infant/child:  1 mL to 20 mL per set depending on weight of patient. For 1 mL to 5 mL, use pediatric bottle.

7. Label bottles with patient’s name (first and last), date and actual time of draw, and initials of phlebotomist.

8. Forward promptly at ambient temperature only.

Timing of Specimen Collection

1. Acute febrile episode:  2 sets from separate sites, all within 10 minutes (before antimicrobial)

2. Non-acute episode:  2 sets or 3 sets from separate sites all within 24 hours at intervals no closer than 3 hours (before antimicrobial)

3. Endocarditis, acute:  3 sets from 3 separate sites, within 1 to 2 hours (before antimicrobial, if possible)

4. Endocarditis, subacute:  3 sets from 3 separate sites 1 hour apart within 24 hours. Obtain 2 sets to 3 sets more (6 sets maximum)

5. Fever of unknown origin:  2 sets to 3 sets from separate sites 1 hour apart during 24-hour period

6. Pediatric:  collect immediately, rarely necessary to document continuous bacteremia with hours between cultures