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eD-H Order Code
LAB462
For guidance on when to order a blood culture refer to Dartmouth Health Guidance on Blood Culture (BCX) Ordering for Adults
Specimen Collection Information
| Specimen | Minimum Test Volume | Container | Special Handling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood | 10.0 ML | Do not add >10 | |
| Blood Pedi | 4.0 ML | Do not add >4 |
Specimen Transport Temperature
Ambient
Specimen Stability
24 hours Ambient
Additional Specimen Instructions
For guidance on when to order a blood culture refer to Dartmouth Health Guidance on Blood Culture (BCX) Ordering for Adults
DO NOT place labels on the bottom of blood culture bottles, this interferes with the instrument bacterial detection process.
Skin disinfection: strict adherence to skin disinfection protocol is necessary to prevent contamination of blood culture with skin microbiota causing false positive results.
Additional Testing Information
Blood cultures are held for 5 days.
Positive blood cultures are critical results and reported to a licensed healthcare provider, 24/7/365. If a blood culture is positive, a multiplex qualitative PCR test is performed that identifies the most common sepsis-causing bacteria and yeast as well as key antibiotic resistance markers. For more details click here.
Yeast and "HACEK" organisms grow reliably during the standard 5-day blood culture incubation period if present.
To rule out dimorphic fungus (e.g. Histoplasma capsulatum, order Fungal Blood Culture [LAB242] (Note: different specimen container requirement)
Day(s) Performed
Monday through Sunday; continuously
CPT(s)
87040
Performing Lab Section
Microbiology