Pathology Handbook

Blood Cultures

1. Collect blood cultures prior to commencement of antibiotic therapy.

2. Remove plastic flip top from culture bottle and disinfect with an alcohol pad or equivalent. This is important because the bottle septum is not sterile.

3.  Adult: 8-10mL of blood per bottle (aerobic and anaerobic).

  Paediatric: 1-3 mL of blood per bottle (Peds Plus/F).

Line demarcations on the bottle label should be used to assist in estimating the sample volume.

4. Do not use of blunt needles or coring devices to puncture the stopper. These prevent sealing of the inoculation hole, leading to aeration or allowing the sample to leak.

5. The barcode labels on the bottle are for laboratory use ONLY. Do not remove or obscure the peel-off stickers.

1. Collect blood cultures prior to commencement of antibiotic therapy.

2. Remove plastic flip top from culture bottle and disinfect with an alcohol pad or equivalent. This is important because the bottle septum is not sterile.

3.  Adult: 8-10mL of blood per bottle (aerobic and anaerobic).

  Paediatric: 1-3 mL of blood per bottle (Peds Plus/F).

Line demarcations on the bottle label should be used to assist in estimating the sample volume.

4. Do not use of blunt needles or coring devices to puncture the stopper. These prevent sealing of the inoculation hole, leading to aeration or allowing the sample to leak.

5. The barcode labels on the bottle are for laboratory use ONLY. Do not remove or obscure the peel-off stickers.

Blue top aerobic bottle

Purple top anaerobic bottle

Pink top paediatric bottle

Cultures are incubated for 5 days. A negative report is issued after 48 hours. All positive blood culture Gram stains are phoned through to the Doctor responsible for patient care.