With the increase of immunocompromised patients, the incidence of septicemia caused by opportunistic pathogens such as mycobacteria has risen since the mid 1980s.This test is used when blood is submitted for acid-fast culture.
Specimen Sources
AutopsyAutopsy Brain OnlyAutopsy PediatricBlood, Central LineBlood, Peripheral
Specimen Types
Blood
Container
Bactec Myco/F Lytic Bottle
Collection Instructions
1 ml - 5 ml (optimal collection 3 ml - 5 ml) of blood should be aseptically collected by needle aspiration and inoculated directly into a Myco/F Lytic vial. 1. Choose a vein to be drawn by touching the skin before it has been disinfected. 2. Cleanse the skin over the venipuncture site in a circle approximately 5 cm in diameter with Chlorhexidine (CHG), rubbing vigorously. 3. Starting in the center of a circle, apply 2% iodine (or povidone-iodine) in ever widening circles until the entire circle has been saturated with iodine. Allow the iodine to dry on the skin for at least 1 minute. The timing is critical; a watch or timer should be used. 4. If site must be touched by phlebotomist after preparation, phlebotomist must disinfect fingers used for palpation in identical fashion or must palpate through a sterile glove. (Universal Precautions dictates that phlebotomists wear gloves). 5. Insert needle into vein and withdraw blood. Change needle and cleanse top of vial with 70% alcohol before injecting blood into the vial. Do not overfill or underfill bottle. 6. After needle has been removed from patient, site should be cleansed with 70% alcohol again as many patients are sensitive to iodine. 7. Label the vial with the patient information and date and time of draw. 8. Maintain sterility and transport as soon as possible to the laboratory at room temperature. The volume of blood collected is critical for recovery of organisms. *Rejection Criteria: Quantity not sufficient, specimen leaking, unlabeled or mislabeled specimen, specimen without a minimum of 2 patient identifiers, specimen received after prolonged delay (more than 7 days), and refrigerated or frozen specimen.
Transport Instructions
Transport at room temperature as soon as possible
Specimen Stability
Maintain sterility and transport to the lab promptly.
Methodology
Continuous culture incubation and monitoring of Myco/F Lytic culture media for the recovery of mycobacteria.
