When blood cultures are required, which item should be drawn first?

Prepare for the NHCO Order of Draw Test with engaging flashcards and multiple choice questions. Understand each procedure with detailed hints and explanations. Maximize your chances of success!

Multiple Choice

When blood cultures are required, which item should be drawn first?

Explanation:
When collecting blood for cultures, the sterile culture bottles should be drawn first. This preserves a truly aseptic sample and reduces the risk that additives or materials from subsequent tubes contaminate the culture or alter its growth. The other tubes contain substances like anticoagulants or clot activators (for example, citrate, EDTA, or fluoride/oxalate) that can interfere with culture growth or contaminate the specimen, so they are collected after the culture bottles.

When collecting blood for cultures, the sterile culture bottles should be drawn first. This preserves a truly aseptic sample and reduces the risk that additives or materials from subsequent tubes contaminate the culture or alter its growth. The other tubes contain substances like anticoagulants or clot activators (for example, citrate, EDTA, or fluoride/oxalate) that can interfere with culture growth or contaminate the specimen, so they are collected after the culture bottles.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Passetra

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy