Bacterial culture (Aspirated Fluids)

  1. Home
  2. Auckland Te Toka Tumai
  3. Test Guide
  4. Bacterial culture (Aspirated Fluids)
Print Page

Testing Laboratory

Auckland Te Toka Tumai | Auckland Hospital

Department

Microbiology

Delphic Registration Code (Alpha Code)

ASP

Test Code (Numeric Code)

2053

Laboratory Handling

Sample Stability

24 hours

Associated Tests

Synonyms

Body fluid
CAPD fluid
Ascites
Emphysema fluid
Joint crystals
Pericardial fluid
Pleural fluid
Peritoneal lavage
Synovial fluid
Urate crystals
Uric acid crystals

Turnaround Time

48 hours

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.

Specimen Type

  • Aspirate
  • CAPD Fluid
  • Fluid Other
  • Pleural Fluid

Specimen Requirements

Tube/Container Type:

Preferred
  • Specimen Container
  • Citrate (Blue Cap)
Acceptable
  • CSF sterile tubes (Routine Analysis)
  • Syringe
  • Plain (Red Top)

Paediatric Specimen Requirements

Tube/Container Type:

Preferred
  • Specimen Container
  • Citrate (Blue Cap)
Acceptable
  • CSF sterile tubes (Routine Analysis)
  • Plain(Microtainer)
  • Syringe

Pre-testing Requirements

Pleural, Pericardial, Peritoneal, Synovial, and Ascitic fluids: Collect into sterile citrate bottles or if not available: plain sterile containers. Use of an inappropriate container could jeopardize results. Specimens that are heavily blood stained or clotted will not receive a cell count. Citrated containers are preferred as these prevent clotting.
Other fluids not listed above may be collected into an appropriate sterile container.

Additional Specimen Information

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.
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.
Routine citrate bottle: add 15 - 30 mL fluid.
Large citrate bottle: add 50 - 150 mL fluid.

Last updated: 28/04/2026