blood culture

Medical term Special Collections

Blood put into culture bottles so the lab can grow and identify bacteria or fungi in the bloodstream; careful skin antisepsis prevents false-positive results.

Sources

• Blood culture (MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia; facts checked only, A.D.A.M. wording not used) · U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus)
• Lamy B, et al. How to Optimize the Use of Blood Cultures for the Diagnosis of Bloodstream Infections? A State-of-the Art. Front Microbiol 2016;7:697 (PMC4863885) · Frontiers in Microbiology via PubMed Central

Free practice questions that use blood culture

• Special Collections, question 1A blood culture order notes that fungemia due to yeast is suspected. Under IDSA/ASM guidance, which bottle combination may the lab ask for…
• Special Collections, question 5A phlebotomist flips the plastic cap off a new culture bottle. Why must the septum still be disinfected?
• Special Collections, question 6What do blood culture bottles contain?

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• blood culture contaminationGrowth of skin bacteria that entered the bottle during collection, giving a false-positive culture…
• blood culture setOne aerobic and one anaerobic bottle filled from the same venipuncture. Adult recommendations give about 20…
• bluing agentBlue dye put in the toilet tank at a drug-test collection site so the employee cannot dilute the specimen…
• central venous catheterA thin tube placed in a large vein, ending near the heart, for long-term medicines or nutrition; it can also…

Study Special Collections

• Free Special Collections practice questions
• All Special Collections terms
• Point-of-Care and CLIA-Waived Tests: QC and Expected Values
• Blood Culture Collection: Prep, Bottles, Volumes, Order
• Pediatric Blood-Volume Limits and Newborn Screening