IVD

Blood Culture Medium (Adults and Infants)

This medium is used to isolate aerobic or anaerobic pathogens and contains sodium poly ethyl sulfonate (SPS) which acts as an anticoagulant.

Packaging Contents

Each vial of the adult's blood culture medium containing 40 ml of culture medium.

Each vial of Infant's blood culture medium containing 20 ml of culture medium.

Storage and Stability

Store at room temperature. Do not refrigerate the specimen.

Stable until the expiry date stated on the label (12 months).

Procedure

          •        Blood cultures should be collected preferably before antibiotic administration.

          •        Add 5-7 ml of adult patient blood under sterile conditions to the adult blood culture medium and incubate at 37 °C. Do not overfill.

          •        Add 3-5 ml of the patient's blood under sterile conditions to the Infant blood culture medium and incubate it at 37°C. Do not overfill.

          •        Mix the bottle contents by inverting the bottles 4-5 times.

          •        Erythrocyte, hemolysis, gas bubbles on the surface of blood culture, turbidity, or deposition of small colonies on the surface of erythrocytes indicate a positive blood culture.

          •        After the report of positive result, continue the diagnosis and improve by additional tests, for example, plantation and nourishment from blood culture medium to chocolate agar, Macconky or a suitable culture for the growth of anaerobic bacteria.

          •        From 20 to 30 percent of positive results of bleeding originates from some microorganisms that in diagnostic criteria clinicians may be important.

          •        For the detection ofHistoplasma capsulatum, add 10 % defibrillated                  blood to the blood culture medium.

          •        Avoid using any turbidity or dust in the cultures.

Precautions

          •        Keep the culture medium away from light.

          •        The volume of blood is critical because the concentration of                        organisms in most cases of bacteremia is low, especially if the patient is on antimicrobial therapy. the concentration of organisms in infants and children during bacteremia is higher than in adults, so less blood is required for culture.

Destruction

Positive and negative controls should be run daily following the steps outlined in the procedure in order to check the optimal reactivity of the antigen. The positive control should produce clear agglutination. If the expected result is not obtained, do not use the kit.

Precautions

• Infectious waste must be disposed of in a carefully controlled manner in accordance to the guidelines.