Specimen Collection
Culture
Collect into sterile citrate bottles or plain or heparin tubes. Use of an inappropriate container could jeopardise results. (For pH measurement, see biochemical analysis below).
For pus, see Anaerobic culture.
Anaerobic culture
Crystals (Synovial fluid)
Collect into sterile plain or citrate tube. Do not use any other type of tube.
Performed by Microbiology department.
Biochemical analysis
Pleural fluids
(Performed by the Biochemistry department)
Specimens of pleural fluid being sent for full biochemical analysis (pH, glucose, protein, LDH, triglycerides, amylase) require an additional collection of at least 1 mL fluid into a syringe, with air bubbles expelled and the syringe capped (caps available from LabPlus - Ph ext 23270).
If a syringe specimen is not supplied, the pH measurement cannot be performed (specimen unstable in citrate bottle), but all of the other biochemical tests listed above can be performed on a citrate sample.
The sizes of bottles are:
Routine: add 15 - 30 mL fluid.
Large: add 50 - 150 mL fluid.
When adding specimen, do not exceed the stated volume. Mix thoroughly.
EDTA or heparin tube may be used for small volumes.
Synovial fluids
Requests for urate levels on joint fluids will not be processed as this is an inappropriate test. For further information, please contact the Biochemistry department.
See also
Cytology Links
Turnaround Time:
Gram stain, crystals and cell count available within two hours.
Culture reports on positives are issued immediately.
Interim negative reports will be issued at 48 hours and a final report issued at 7 days.
Mycology: an interim report is issued on any positive culture. Negative reports are issued after 14 days.
Contact Information
For further information, contact the Microbiology Department via Lablink or the Clinical Microbiologist:
Lablink contact details
Dr Sally Roberts
, Microbiologist:
ext 22705
Cellphone
021 674 140
Dr Sharmini Muttaiyah
, Microbiologist:
ext 22700
Cellphone
021 615 892
Dr Mary de Almeida
, Microbiologist:
ext 22700
Cellphone
021 170 9117
Dr Matthew Blakiston
, Microbiologist: contact via Lablink