Bacterial Culture Collection Methods
| Specimen Type |
Acceptable Specimen Types |
Additional Information |
Transport |
Comments |
| Aerobic Culture |
Surface Swabs,
Drainage,
Intra-vascular Catheter Tips,
Gastric Aspirates,
Irrigation/Wash Fluids,
Female/Male Genital Tract,
Placental Swabs,
etc. |
Swabs are to be delivered in eSwabs (Lawson# 309762 - standard or Lawson# 143675 – flexible minitip).
Fluid specimens may be delivered in Luer-lock capped syringe WITHOUT NEEDLE or in other suitable specimen container.
Luer caps available from CD (Lawson# 000519) |
|
|
| Anaerobic Culture |
Internal body fluids,
Aspirates,
Tissue Biopsies,
Intraoperative Swabs of Internal Organs and
Other Internal Sites |
Fluid Specimens are to be delivered in a Luer-lock capped syringe WITHOUT NEEDLE. Intraoperative Swabs are to be delivered in eSwabs (Lawson #309762) |
 |
|
| Ascitic/ Peritoneal Fluid |
|
Send specimen in Luer-lock capped syringe WITHOUT NEEDLE to lab for processing or other sterile container.
Deliver Immediately |
|
|
| Bartlett Bronchial Brush |
|
Special Transport Medium available in Bronchoscopy Suite |
|
|
| Blood Culture |
|
Order via floor-order entry system. Collection by Phlebotomy Services (4-5446) |
|
|
| Bronchial Alveolar Lavage |
|
Deliver in Luer-lock capped syringe WITHOUT NEEDLE or in other suitable sterile container |
|
|
| Fluids |
1-2 ml in a sterile container |
|
|
|
| NP Aspirate |
Place the #5 French feeding catheter containing the specimen into a sterile container. Bring to the lab immediately |
|
|
|
| Sputum |
|
|
|
See Sputum Culture Collection Methods |
| Throat cultures |
Throat cultures should be collected on a Transport Double Swab
(Lawson# 050439) |
|
|
|
Group A
and Group
B Strep
cultures |
Cultures should be collected on a Transport Double Swab
(Lawson# 050439) |
|
|
|
| Tissues |
Place in sterile container without medium. Bring to lab immediately. Do not allow to dry out. |
|
|
|
|
Specimen Collection Chart
