Specimen Requirements

Title

Culture, Anaerobic Bacteria w/ Gram Stain

Specimen Requirement

Collect 2 anaerobic swabs in anaerobic transport gel vial (black top contains 2 swabs) or one ESwab (white cap). Source required on requisition for testing.

Sources NOT accepted: Throat, nasopharyngeal, sputum, bronchoscopic specimens. Stool or rectal swabs. Vaginal and cervical. External ear. External eye. Intrauterine device. Urine-voided or catheter. Superficial or fresh wounds.

Alternate Samples: 3 mL or 3 grams abscess, deep wound, tissue, normally sterile body fluids other than blood, bronchoscopic specimens obtained by the Double Lumen Brush technique, suprapubic urine aspirates obtained from bladder, nephrostomy tube or suprapubic catheterization, aspirated pus from deep wound or abscess or tympanocentesis fluid, genital specimens from these sites only: Cul-de-sac aspiration, culdocentesis-percutaneous transfundal aspiration, fallopian tube and surgical specimens.

Methodology

Direct Microscopy • Bacterial Culture • Anaerobic Isolation and Identification Procedures • Phenotypic • Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight • Sequencing

Stability

Anaerobic transport media: 72 hours room temp or refrigerated; ESwab: 48 hours room temp or refrigerated

Reference Range

By Report*

Turnaround

4 days

Clinical Use

The culture isolates and identifies significant pathogens responsible for anaerobic related infections.

Test Code

MANP