Culture of Foreign Objects and Implanted Medical Devices
POWERCHART ORDER – Medical Device Culture
Useful For
Implanted medical devices and foreign objects in the body may become the site of an infection. In this event, the device or object is usually surgically removed and submitted for culture. Culture techniques for such objects will vary along with the type and size of the object submitted. In general, such objects are not suitable for standard plating techniques or for the performance of direct smears. Various techniques employing broth-based culture methods are used.
Method Name
Culture
Aliases
Medical Device, C Medical Device
Specimen Type
- Medical hardware (pins, prosthetic joints, gortex graft material, etc.)
- IUD’s
- Foreign bodies
Specimen Required
Transport in a clean sterile dry container.
Specimen Minimum Volume
Not Applicable
Specimen Stability Information
- Transport at room temperature.
- Transport in a sterile dry container
- Should be received within 2 hours of collection.
*NOTE* Specimens that do not meet the above criteria will be rejected.
Rejected Due To
- Not transported at room temperature.
- Not transported in a sterile dry container
- Not received within 2 hours of collection.
Special Instructions
- Specimens must be labeled with complete source and body site information.
- Exam includes susceptibility testing, when relevant for the isolates recovered.
- Direct smears cannot be performed on hard solid objects.
- Objects cannot be plated to solid media, and are inoculated into broth medium only.
- Quantitation of bacterial growth is therefore not possible.
Performing Laboratory
Glens Falls Hospital Microbiology Laboratory
Reference Values
No Growth
Day(s) and Time(s) Performed
- Day Shift
- 7 days per week
Analytical Time
Up to 5 days
Specimen Retention Time
72 hours
Analytical Time
Up to 5 days