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

Reviewed by Christopher Parker on December 07, 2021

UNC Hospitals
McLendon Clinical Laboratories
101 Manning Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27514