Specimen Requirements

Submit only one of the following

Preferred
Specimen Type: Joint fluid, Pleural fluid, Peritoneal Dialysate (PD) fluid, Ascitic fluid
Container/Tube: BacT/Alert Plus FA (green), BacT/Alert Plus FN (orange)
Volume: Both blood bottles: 10.0 mL of fluid in each bottle
Minimum Volume: 8.0 mL of fluid in each bottle
Collection Instructions: Do not use expired bottles, or bottles within seven days of the expiry date.

Keep BacT/Alert culture bottles at room temperature and in the dark when not in use.

Please refer to Anaerobic Culture. 

Acceptable
Specimen Type: Joint fluid, Pleural fluid, Peritoneal Dialysate (PD) fluid, Ascitic fluid
Container/Tube: Bottles from other blood culture systems
Volume: According to manufacturer’s instruction.
Minimum Volume: According to manufacturer’s instruction.
Collection Instructions: According to manufacturer’s instruction.

For bottles from other blood culture systems, manual monitoring of bottles will be performed and result reporting will be delayed.

Gram smears will not be performed from the BacT/Alert bottles until the bottle(s) prompt positive. Please send fluid in a sterile bottle if Gram smear is required.