Specimen Requirements

Adults

1. Physician will collect bone marrow specimen.

2. Cleanse tops of resin and lytic blood culture bottles thoroughly with 70% to 95% alcohol prep. Allow each to dry for 1 minute.

3. Inoculate aerobic and anaerobic blood culture bottles with a minimum of 3 mL and a maximum of 10 mL of bone marrow into each bottle. If <3 mL of bone marrow is collected, use a pediatric blood culture bottle.

4. Label each bottle with  patient’s name, date of birth or hospital medical record number, specimen source, date and time of collection, collector’s initials, and draw number (if a series).

5. Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature only.

Pediatrics

1. Physician will collect bone marrow specimen.

2. Cleanse top of pediatric resin small volume blood culture bottle thoroughly with 70% to 95% alcohol prep. Allow to dry for 1 minute.

3. Inoculate pediatric blood culture bottle with a maximum of 3 mL (minimum volume:  1 mL) of bone marrow.

4. Label bottle with  patient’s name, date of birth or hospital medical record number, specimen source, date and time of collection, collector’s initials, and draw number (if a series).

5. Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature only.