Blood culture collection and shipping instructions

Blood culture collection bottles should be obtained from the NVDC bacteriology lab prior to collecting the sample. Please call the lab at 402-472-8470.

Important: Never refrigerate or incubate bottles.

• Label the bottles with the patient identifiers such as name, ID number, date and time drawn, etc.
• Prepare the venipuncture site by shaving the area if necessary and then applying betadine and then alcohol.
• Prepare the blood culture bottles by disinfecting the rubber stopper with alcohol and allowing it to dry.

• Using a needle and syringe, draw a total of 10ml of blood. Remove and dispose of the needle and replace it with a sterile one.

  If 10 ml of blood cannot be collected, divide the blood as follows:

  •  > 1ml, divide equally between both the aerobic (purple) and anaerobic (red) bottles.
  •  < 1ml but  >0.5ml, place 0.5ml in the aerobic bottle and the remainder in the anaerobic bottle.
  •  <0.5ml, put the entire sample in the aerobic bottle.

• Immediately transfer the blood to the prepared bottles under aseptic conditions. Insert the needle at a right angle in the center of the rubber stopper and expel half the sample into each bottle. Always inoculate the aerobic bottle first.
• Gently invert the bottles 4-5 times to mix contents.
• Leave the bottles at room temperature and get them to the laboratory within 24 hours of collection.