Overview
MDL Test Name
Body Fluid Culture – Aerobic, Anaerobic, Gram Stain
MDL Test Code
BFL_CULT
Ask at Order Questions
N/A
Specimen Source
Synovial
Peritoneal
Pericardial
Pleural
Other (indicate specific source)
Specimen Requirements
Container/Tube
Sterile Container
Specimen Volume (minimum)
0.5mL
Sample Stability Time
48 hours
Transport/Storage Conditions
Ambient (20 – 25°C); maintain at room temperature
Patient Preparation / Collection Instructions
Varies depending on the fluid type. Collected by a healthcare provider using sterile technique. Contamination with normal flora from skin (or other body surfaces) should be avoided.
Do NOT submit syringe with needle attached! If submitting a syringe, remove the needle, expel air and cap syringe.
This order is reserved for 'normally sterile body fluids', those fluids aspirated from an abscess and/or collected from a drainage system should be ordered as ‘Wound Culture – Aerobic, Anaerobic, Gram Stain’ (WNDAA_CULT).
Performance
Days Performed
Daily; Monday – Sunday
Report Available (TAT) – (Once received at MDL)
4 – 6 days
Specimen Retention Time
7 days
Method Description
Conventional aerobic and anaerobic bacterial culture techniques with selective and non-selective media.
Identification methods (when appropriate) may include any of the following: conventional biochemical testing, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry, and commercial identification panels.
Susceptibility testing (when appropriate) may include minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) (broth microdilution or gradient strip diffusion) or disk diffusion.
Reference Values
No growth of pathogens
Cautions
False-negative cultures can be caused by low numbers of organisms, prior antimicrobial treatment, or the fastidious nature of the infective organism.
False-positive cultures can result from contamination of the specimen with skin microbiota.
This order is generally reserved for those body fluids normally considered ‘sterile’, outside of cerebral spinal fluid and urine, which have their own orders.