Does anyone know if there is any literature or recommendations regarding filling a blood culture bottle utilizing a vacutainer directly to the central line. It has been suggested that this is discouraged due to possibility of culture media entering the bloodstream.
Chris Thomas
I do not see how this could physically be done. Vacuum tubes that attach to the tube holder do not have the same contents are blood culture bottles. Are you suggesting that one always use a butterly and pass the rubber tip-covered needle through the stopper of the culture bottle? This could possibly work but I am not sure about wheter that rubber tip covered needle would pass through that stopper. This bottle would need to be held so that the culture medium was at the bottom preventing any accidental flow of it back into the vein. But I see no way that this can be done using a regular vacuum tube and holder. Even it there was no additives in the vacuum tube, are these tubes sterile on the inside or just clean? The blood would still need to be transferred from those tubes to the culture bottle, so this does not provide any benefit. YOu would have to withdraw with a syringe and transfer to the culture bottle, adding a step rather than removing it. Unless I am missing something, I just don't think it would work. I would check with the manufacturers of these devices to see what they say. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
126 Main Street, PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861