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Test Code CTC Catheter Tip Culture

Specimen Type

Intravascular Catheter Tip

Preferred Collection Container

STL-CUP

Collection Volume

1 Catheter Tip

Minimum Collection Volume

1 Catheter Tip

Collection Instructions

Remove catheter without touching the proximal end. Using sterile scissors, cut off a short section including the area that was directly beneath the skin (approx. 2 inches) into a sterile container without liquid. Label with patient name, patient identification number, body site, date and time of collection and initials of person collecting specimen.

Rejection Criteria

Specimen not received in appropriate sterile container; Incomplete requisition; Unlabelled specimen; no blood culture with 24 hours of cath tip culture; non-vascular cath tips.

Specimen Storage and Stability

Send immediately to the laboratory, or refrigerate if transport to the laboratory is to be delayed for more than 1 hour.

Turn Around Time

Cultures with no growth will be reported and final at 2 days. Reports on specimens from which pathogens are isolated will take a minimum of 2 days for completion.

Lab Department

Microbiology

Alias

Catheter Tip Culture; Bacterial Culture of IV Catheter Tip; IV Catheter Tip Culture by Roll Tip Method;

EPIC Code

LAB224

Acceptable Collection Container

Sterile container

Patient Preparation

Disinfect skin around catheter with iodine prep.

Additional Information

This test gives quantitative results. The presence of >15 CFU of a single organism is consistent with that organism as an etiological agent of bacteremia and perhaps septic thrombophlebitis. <15 CFU of growth implies that the catheter harbored the organism. Clinical significance may be determined by correlating with culture results of blood cultures drawn within 24 hours of catheter removal.

Day(s) and Time(s) Performed

6:00am – 12:30am