Specimen Requirements

Acceptable Specimens: 

Bronchial washing, joint fluid, peritoneal fluid, pleural fluid, synovial fluid, thoracentesis fluid, or any other body fluid

Unacceptable Specimens:

Spinal fluid

1. Aseptically collect 1 mL of specimen from where suspected organism will most likely be found.

2. Place specimen in a screw-capped, sterile container. Synovial fluid collected in syringe should be placed in dark green-top (sodium heparin) tube to prevent clotting.

3. If enough fluid is not available, use BBL^TM CultureSwab^TM Plus supplied from Nursing Unit Pyxis or Laboratory for Outreach Offices. (Specimen submitted in non-sterile container or specimen delayed >4 hours [unless collected on BBL^TM CultureSwab^TM Plus] is not acceptable.)

4. Label specimen with patient’s name (first and last), date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.

5. Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature only.

Note:  1. If fastidious bacteria such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Streptococcus pneumoniae is suspected, specimen should arrive within ≤24 hours of collection.

2. Collect before start of antibiotic therapy whenever possible.

3. Specimen source is required on request form for processing.