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Test Code C Blood Culture, Blood

Methodology

Culture

Specimen Requirements

Note: As with other cultures, administration of antimicrobial therapy prior to culture may make recovery of pathogens difficult to impossible.

 

1.  Location of Draw Required.

2.  Refer to the Blood Culture Collection Procedure for collection instructions. The use of the SteriPath Diversion Device is standard practice when collecting a blood culture.

3.  Refer to the Blood Culture Collection Procedure for special requests and additional notes.

 

 

 

Volume Requirement Chart   

Type of BacT/Alert Bottle

Color of Bottle Top 

Volume Required

Aerobic 

Green

5 mL minimum/
10 mL maximum

Anaerobic 

Orange

5 mL minimum/
10 mL maximum

Pediatric 

Yellow 

1 mL minimum/
4 mL maximum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day(s) Test Set Up

Monday through Sunday

Reference Values

No growth after 5 days

Critical value (automatic call-back): Any Positive Growth

Test Classification and CPT Coding

87040

87205 (Gram Stain) if applicable

87206 (Acridine Orange Fluorescent Stain) if applicable

Performing Laboratory

Beebe Healthcare Laboratory

Performing Location

Margaret H. Rollins Laboratory

Specimen Transport Temperature

Ambient

Additional Information

Cultures are worked up and reported per standard Microbiology guidelines.  Full organism identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing are performed when appropriate and will incur additional CPT codes and charges.  Pertinent patient history should be communicated directly to the Microbiology Department when necessary (patient travel history, suspect and/or rule out certain pathogens, any unusual circumstances, etc) so that the culture can be worked up appropriately.  If additional workup is required beyond the final culture report, please contact the Microbiology Department at (302)-645-3563 within 5 days to discuss the case with a technologist.