Fungal Blood Culture

Specimen Required

Green Top Heparin Tube or Blood Culture Bottles

Specimen Minimum Volume

1.0 mL

Specimen Stability Information

Transport at room temperature. Specimen should be received within 2 hours of collection. *NOTE* Specimens that do not meet the above criteria will be rejected.

Special Instructions

Requests for fungal susceptibility testing require submittal of the isolate(s) to a reference laboratory. The physician must specify the antifungal agents to be tested. nnCollection protocol: nCarefully disinfect the skin in the area to be sampled, as you would for a routine blood culture collection, using both an alcohol scrub and iodine disinfection (see blood culture collection protocols). Carefully disinfect the top of the Vacutainer tube using the same procedure as for disinfecting the skin. Either collect the specimen directly into the Vacutainer tube or collect the specimen with a sterile disposable needle and syringe and aseptically transfer the specimen to the Vacutainer tube. Specimens are held for a 4-week incubation period.

Performing Laboratory

7 a.m. – 9 p.m. Turn around time is 4 weeks.