Specimen Requirements

Do not use pediatric bottles (pink top) on patients >3 years of age. The laboratory must be notified if fastidious organisms such as Brucella or Francisella are suspected so that the blood cultures can be held for 21 days.

Adults (Children and Adults Weighing >80 Pounds) Specimen Type: BD Bactec (blue top) Aerobic bottle and BD Bactec (purple top) Anaerobic bottle.

Specimen Volume: 10 mL in each bottle, minimum volume can be 10 mL split between aerobic and anaerobic bottles. If the volume of blood is <4 mL, place all blood in aerobic bottle

Collection Instructions:

1. Sterilize tops of bottles with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Allow to air dry.

2. Apply tourniquet to patient’s arm.

3. Palpate area to locate vein.

4. Thoroughly cleanse venipuncture site by pinching ChloraPrep vial and holding applicator with sponge downward and gently squeezing wings, releasing solution for a controlled flow. Press against skin and apply ChloraPrep solution using a back-and-forth friction scrubbing for at least 30 seconds. Allow area to dry for approximately 30 seconds. Do not palpate vein after sterilizing area.

5. Draw blood and inoculate into each bottle.

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

7. As with other cultures, administration of antibiotics prior to culture may make recovery of pathogens difficult to impossible.

Additional Information: See Microbiology-Blood Culture Collection in Special Instructions for additional information.

Pediatrics (1 to 6 Years Old) Specimen Type: BD Bactec (blue top) Aerobic bottle and BD Bactec (purple top) Anaerobic bottle.

Specimen Volume: 1 mL per year of age, divided between 2 blood culture bottles