| Specimen Type |
Instructions |
Volume |
Container |
Alternate Container |
| Abscess |
Prepare surface with povidone iodine solution; let dry.
Aspirate fluid/purulent material with syringe. Expel air bubbles from syringe; inject sample into sterile container
Deliver to laboratory immediately. |
Optimal: 5 mL
Minimum: 1 mL |
Sterile Container
|
Eswab – for use only if fluid/material cannot be aspirated.
|
| Aspirate |
| Cyst |
Body Fluid:
Amniotic, Aqueous, Ascites, Gastric, Ocular, Pericardial, Pleural, Peritoneal, Synovial, Vitreous, Milk |
| Semen |
Collect in sterile container |
| Washing |
| Bone Marrow |
Cultures should be taken after specimens for cell morphology studies, genetic studies, cell marker studies and other cell studies. Use a new syringe for each. Clean top of anticoagulant tube with alcohol wipe before injecting. |
Optimal: 4-8 mL
Minimum: 1.5 mL |
SPS
|
Pediatric Blood Culture Bottle
|
| Brushing |
Skin: Cleanse with 70% alcohol. Scrape off skin at active border of lesion; include some health skin. Place Brush in sterile container. |
N/A |
Brush in Sterile Container
|
N/A |
| CSF |
Wear gloves, gown and mask. Prepare skin as for blood culture. Drape surrounding skin with sterile linen. Ideally, separate tubes should be collected for bacteriology, hematology cell counts and chemistries. Deliver to laboratory immediately. |
Optimal: 2mL
Minimum: 0.3 mL |
CSF Container
|
N/A |
Bone:
Biopsy, Core Biopsy, Curetting, Fracture, Fragments, Resection, Exostosis, Osteophyte, Resection |
Place specimen in sterile leakproof container. |
Visible amount of specimen. |
Sterile Container
|
Eswab – for use only if fluid/material cannot be aspirated.
|
| Calculus/Stone |
| Foreign Body |
Tissue:
Biopsy, Fine needle aspiration |
| Placenta |
Place patient in lithotomy position, insert speculum, and visualize cervical os.
Remove mucous plug, wipe cervical os with povidone iodine solution. Wipe off povidone iodine solution.
Aspirate material through the sleeve of a rush or curette sampling implement to avoid normal flora contamination.
Place the aspirate in a sterile tube.
Do not collect on swabs to prevent contamination with normal cervical/vaginal flora and to ensure adequate material is collected. Specimen can be swabbed after removal if shared with Surgical Pathology.
Anaerobic container can be used for aerobic and anaerobic culture. |
Visible amount of specimen. |
Sterile Container
|
Eswab – for use only if shared with surgical pathology.
|
| Swab |
Clean Surface with sterile sponge and sterile water.
If purulent material is available to be Aspirated collect in Sterile container for improved sensitivity. |
Eswab- N/A
Sterile Container:
Optimal: 5 mL
Minimum: 0.5 mL |
Sterile Container
|
Eswab – for use only if fluid/material cannot be aspirated.
|
| Skin |
| Wound |
| Vaginal Fluid |
Avoid contamination with normal flora from skin, rectum, vaginal tract or other body surface. |
N/A |
Eswab
|
N/A |
