Specimen Type:
1 cm3 tissue or 1 mL body fluid, abscess aspirate, or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in sterile container.
Eswab is accepted but not preferred.
Minimum Volume:
Body fluid minimum volume is 0.5 mL.
Cause for Rejection:
Specimen collected in nonsterile container. No swab in Eswab transport tube. Unacceptable material: BAL (except OR specimens), Cervical secretions, Endotracheal secretions, Lochia secretions, NPH swab, Perineal swab, Prostatic or seminal fluid, Sinus washings, Sputum, Stool or rectal, Tracheostomy secretions, Urethral secretions, urine other than suprapubic, and vaginal secretions/swab
Storage:
Specimens should be transported to the lab preferably within 2 hours at room temperature.
Special Instructions:
An aerobic (routine) culture order should accompany any anaerobic culture order, since not all infections are caused by anaerobic bacteria.