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HelpBlood Culture*
Performing Laboratory
Rutland Regional Medical Center Laboratory
Specimen Requirements
Specimen must arrive within 2 hours of draw.
BacT/ALERT collection bottles (aerobic and anaerobic) must be used for this procedure.
Specimen Type: Blood
Container/Tube: BacT/ALERT collection bottles
Specimen Volume:
-Adults: use a 2-bottle set, 20 mL of blood per draw divided into 2 bottles, aerobic and anaerobic
-Children under 10 years: use a 1-bottle set, 1 mL to 4 mL of blood per draw
Collection Instructions:
1. Refer to Microbiology Specimen Collection Guidelines
2. Do not draw more than 3 sets of blood cultures in a 24 hour period.
Specimen Transport Temperature
Ambient
Normal Reference Values
No Growth
Critical Values
Identification of all organisms
Day(s) Performed
Daily; continuously
Analytical Time:
5 days
Test Classification and CPT Coding
CPT: 87040
LOINC: 600-7
Result Name: Blood Culture
Order Code: RMCCBLOOD
Result Code: RMCL800046
Methodology
BacT/ALERT Blood Culture System
Positive bottles are gram stained, subcultured and microorganisms recovered are identified by conventional techniques.
Special Instructions
Acute sepsis: draw 2 to 3 sets from separate sites within 10 minutes
Acute endocarditis: draw 3 sets from 3 sites taken over 1 to 2 hours
Subacute endocarditis: draw 3 sets from 3 sites taken ≥15 minutes apart (if negative at 24 hours, obtain 3 more sets)
Fever of unknown origin: draw 2 to 3 sets from separate sites ≥1 hour apart (if negative at 24 hours, obtain 2-3 more sets)