Specimen Requirements

Unacceptable Specimens: Any area with fecal contamination; catheter tip; cervical, prostatic, or vaginal secretions; decubitti; gingival or nasopharyngeal swabs; single-channel bronchoscope or gastric washings; skin ulcers; sputum; superficial skin lesions; surgical drain sites; throat; voided urine

 

Extreme care must be taken to avoid contamination by anaerobic normal flora and overgrowth by coexisting aerobic bacteria.

 

Specimen source is required.

 

Submit only 1 of the following specimens per culture request:

 

Preferred

Specimen Type: Any closed abscess

Container/Tube: Anaerobic Specimen Collector Swab in single anaerobic specimen collector vial

Specimen Volume: Swab

Collection Instructions: 

1. Aseptically collect specimen from abscess cavity.

2. Immediately place swab in collector vial.

3. Label vial with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

 

Alternate

Specimen Type: Aspirate from any closed abscess

Container/Tube: Needle and syringe with Luer-tip cap or similar device

Specimen Volume: 0.5 mL

Collection Instructions: 

1. Aseptically collect specimen.

2. Remove needle, and send syringe to laboratory.

3. Label vial with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

 

Specimen Type: Body fluid aspriate

Container/Tube: Anaerobic transport vial or sterile anaerobic specimen container

Specimen Volume: 0.5 mL

Collection Instructions: 

1. Aseptically collect specimen.

2. Label vial with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

 

Specimen Type: Lower respiratory tract secretions

Container/Tube: Anaerobic transport vial

Specimen Volume: 0.5 mL

Collection Instructions: 

1. Aseptically collect specimen by percutaneous transtracheal aspiration.

2. Label vial with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

 

Specimen Type: Sinus tract/uterine cavity/wound (deep)

Container/Tube: Syringe with plastic intravenous type of catheter in anaerobic transport vial or syringe with Luer-tip cap

Specimen Volume: 0.5 mL

Collection Instructions: 

1. Aseptically collect specimen by syringe aspiration using a plastic intravenous type of catheter threaded into infected site. 

2. Soft tissue infections may be cultured by injecting 1 to 2 mL of sterile saline into infected site and then withdrawing saline and tissue juice into syringe. Cap syringe, and send syringe to laboratory.
3. Label vial with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

 

Specimen Type: Tissue

Container/Tube: Sterile container

Specimen Volume: Entire collection

Collection Instructions: 

1. Aseptically collect specimen by surgical excision.
2. Label vial with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

 

Specimen Type: Urine, suprapubic

Container/Tube: Sterile container

Specimen Volume: A minimum of 0.5 mL

Collection Instructions: 

1. Aseptically collect urine by suprapubic needle aspiration of bladder.

2. Label vial with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.