MLS 1204

Principles of Medical Laboratory Science 2

(Clinical Laboratory Assistance and Phlebotomy)

Laboratory Activity No. 7

BLOOD CULTURE COLLECTION

Introduction
Blood cultures are ordered by a physician when there is fever of unknown origin (FUO)
or reason to suspect bacteremia (bacteria in the blood) or septicemia (pathogenic bacteria in
the blood).

Objective
At the end of this activity, the student shall be able to familiarize themselves with the blood
culture procedure, specifically:
1. List the materials and supplies necessary for collection of a blood culture specimen.
2. State how blood culture samples must be labeled.
3. Perform a blood culture using a proper collection and labeling techniques.

Materials
• Gloves
• Alcohol/alcohol preps
• Povidone iodine/Benzalkonium chloride
• Gauze pads or cotton balls
• Tourniquet
• Blood collection bottles (aerobic, anaerobic, ARD, or tubes)
• Needle (two-way/butterfly needle)
• Syringe
• Sharps container
• Permanent marker or pen

Procedure
1. Obtain and accession the test request.
2. Identify the patient
3. Prepare the patient for testing
a. Bedside manner
b. Explain the procedure
c. Obtain consent
4. Assemble equipment and supplies
5. Wash hands and put on gloves
6. Reassure patient
7. Position patient
8. Apply tourniquet
9. Ask the patient to make a fist
10. Select the venipuncture site
11. Release the tourniquet
12. Clean the site
a. Clean with antiseptic – 70% alcohol for a minimum of 30 seconds
b. Use a tincture of iodine for 30 seconds or a Povidone-iodine swabstick for 60
seconds to cleanse site
i. Begin in the center moving outward in concentric circles
ii. Do not go over any area more than once
c. Allow site to air dry
13. Remove the protective flip-top covering the rubber septum and clean the top of the bottle
with 70% alcohol or iodine
14. Reapply tourniquet. Do not touch cleansed area
15. Broth inoculation can occur several different ways
a. Collect directly into bottles using a butterfly needle
i. Fill the aerobic vial first
ii. Avoid backflow by keeping the culture bottle lower than the collection site
iii. Aerobic and anaerobic bottles should contain 5-10 mL of blood
iv. Pediatric bottles generally are filled with 1-3 mL of blood
b. Syringe method
i. Blood must be transferred to the bottles after draw is completed
ii. Use a transfer device. Fill anaerobic bottle first.
iii. If using the needle on the syringe for transfer, do not hold the culture bottle
in hand to avoid accidental needlesticks
c. Intermediate collection tube
i. A sodium polyanethol sulfonate (SPS), yellow top is acceptable
ii. Blood must be transferred from the tube to the culture bottles
16. Check the patient’s arm and clean iodine from the patient’s skin with an alcohol pad.
17. Label culture bottles including site of collection
18. Dispose of contaminated materials
19. Thank the patient.
20. Remove gloves and wash hands.
21. Check specimen collection logs (if applicable).
22. Transport the specimen to the laboratory.

NOTE:
a. Collection of blood cultures in a timely fashion is important as they are commonly
ordered before or immediately after fever spikes.
b. Skin antiseptics is the most important part of the blood culture.