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Test Code
BC
Test Name
Blood Culture
CPT Codes
87040
Included Tests
  • Anaerobic and Aerobic culture
  • Gram stain, identification, and susceptibility testing if applicable. Additional CPT codes may apply.
Expected Turnaround Time
5 days
Clinical Utility
Blood cultures are used to diagnose bacteremia, endocarditis, and septicemia. For optimal recovery two to three sets should be collected from different prepared sites during a brief interval. Obtaining initial specimens before the initiation of antibiotic therapy is strongly advised.
Specimen and Container Info

Specimen: Blood

Container: Aerobic and Anaerobic BacT/Alert Blood Culture Bottle

Preferred Volume:

  • Individuals ≥55 lbs collect 8 - 10 mL per bottle
  • Individual ≤55 lbs collect 1 - 10 mL in Aerobic Bottle only

Minimum Acceptable Volume: Improperly filled blood culture bottles are considered irretrievable and will be accepted. Under or overfilling can impact recovery. Use fill lines on the bottle for reference. 
Collection Instructions
  • For detailed collection instructions see Specimen Collection, Preparation, and Handling Guide
  • Acutely ill patient with high suspicion of clinical septicemia in need of STAT antibiotics collect two sets of blood cultures from two different sites.
  • For fever of unknown origin collect three sets of blood cultures during the 1-2 hours of temperature elevation. If all cultures are negative 24 hours later, obtain three more.
  • Maximum order is 2-3 sets in a 24-hour period. Drawing more than three blood culture sets in a 24-hour period has minimal clinical utility.
Processing and Submission Instructions
  • Site, date, and time of collection must be indicated on specimen.
  • When affixing labels, take care not to cover the bottle barcode.
  • Send to the laboratory as soon as possible to prevent delayed entry onto the instrument.
Transport Instructions

Transport to the laboratory at room temperature.

Stability Requirements

Room Temperature

24 hours

Refrigerated

Unacceptable

Frozen

Unacceptable
Methodology
Continuous Monitoring Blood Culture
Critical Values
Positive blood cultures are considered a critical value. A healthcare worker is phoned to notify them of a positive culture, the initial Gram stain, and to notify that the blood culture panel results are available in the patient's record for review.
Performing Location
Roble Road Core Laboratory
Testing Schedule
Routine, daily
The American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes published by HNL Lab Medicine are guidelines and are intended for informational purposes only. CPT coding is the exclusive responsibility of the billing entity. View the Terms.
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