Laboratory Test Guide

Place Holder for Body Fluid Bacterial Culture and Sensitivity with Gram Stain (includes anaerobes)

General Information

Lab Name

Fluid C/S w/Gram Order

Lab Code

FLDPHC

Epic Name

Culture Body Fluid, Bacterial w/ Stain

Description

Lab will order appropriate test based on specimen description. Specify exact source of specimen, preferably using pre-defined specimen descriptors in CPOE.

Fluid Bacterial Culture and Sensitivity (Special Anaerobic) with Gram Stain [FLDANC]: Aerobic and anaerobic workup. Includes sterile fluids <1 mL and newly placed or IR collected drains.

Fluid Bacterial Culture and Sensitivity with Gram Stain [FLDC]: Aerobic and anaerobic workup. Includes non-sterile drainage fluids (JP, Penrose, etc.).

Fluid Bacterial C/S in Blood Culture Bottles with Gram Stain [FLDGBC]: Aerobic and anaerobic workup, gram stain. Includes sterile body fluids >1mL. Fluid will be cultured in aerobic and anaerobic blood culture bottles in addition to routine agar media.

For CSF see Place Holder for CSF Bacterial Culture and Sensitivity with Gram Stain [CSFPHC].

For Vitreous Fluid see Eye Culture and Sensitivity with Gram [EYEC].

For wound, abscess, or wound drainage see Place Holder for Wound Bacterial Culture and Sensitivity with Gram Stain [WNDPHC].

For fungal cultures see Fluid Culture with Direct Fungal Exam [FLDF] or Fluid Fungal Culture in Blood Culture Bottle [FLDFBC].

For blood, urine, BAL, or bone marrow, see separate test guide entries specific to these sites.

Synonyms

Bacteria Culture, Bacterial Culture

Components

Code	Name
SDES	Specimen Description
SREQ	Special Requests
MCCOM	MICROBIOLOGY COMMENT
RPT	Report Status

Interpretation

Reference Range

See individual components

Ordering & Collection

Specimen Type

Body Fluid, Drain, Diagnostic Peritoneal Lavage (DPL), Amniotic Fluid, Ascites Fluid, Joint Fluid, Pericardial Fluid, Peritoneal Dialysis, Peritoneal Fluid, Pleural Fluid, Synovial Fluid, Thoracentesis Fluid

Collection

Optimal: Fluid in sterile specimen container or syringe (remove needle, expel air and cap syringe). Swabs in Amies gel transport or Liquid Amies transport media (ESwab) are acceptable but not optimal because sensitivity of culture may be reduced. If inoculating blood culture bottles directly, disinfect BOTTLE TOPS. Allow to dry. Inoculate 8-10 mL body fluid into 1 aerobic blood culture bottle and 8-10 mL into 1 anaerobic blood culture bottle. Send additional fluid in sterile container for direct exam. Do NOT overfill or under fill. Do not place patient label over the barcode label. Only BacT/ALERT blood culture bottles will be accepted.

Handling Instructions

Transport specimens collected in a syringe or sterile container within 2 hours, swabs within 4 hours and Blood culture bottles within 30 minutes after collection at room temperature. If specimen is received >12 hours after collection, viability of organisms may be significantly reduced. Specimens received >24 hours after collection, or collected with expired swabs/transport media will be rejected.

Quantity

requested: As much as possible
minimum: 1 mL fluid, ESwab

Processing

Performance

LIS Dept Code

Microbiology (MC)

Performing Location(s)

HMC	Microbiology 206-744-5858 325 9th Ave, Rm # GWH-47, Seattle, WA 98104-2420
UW-MT	Microbiology 206-520-4600 Clinical Lab, Room # NW177, University of Washington Medical Center, 1959 NE Pacific street, Seattle, WA 98195