Object

Objects for identification and or culture e.g. prosthetic valve should be sent in a dry sterile container with a description of the place and clinical circumstances under which it was found or removed.

Insect

Insects for identification should be sent in a dry sterile container with a description of the place and clinical circumstances under which it was found.

Tips

Vascular tips

The distal 4-5 cm of Intravascular cannulae which are suspected to be infected should be cut off with sterile scissors and sent in a dry sterile container with a description of the site of insertion and relevant clinical details. Paired peripheral and line blood cultures should be sent at the same time as findings in the absence of an associated positive blood culture are difficult to interpret.

Other device tips

Tips from urethral urinary catheters are not examined. Endotracheal tube tips, drain tips and epidural tips should not normally be sent for culture. If infection is suspected, then a specimen from that site should be sent for culture (eg sputum not ET tube tip, ascites not ascitic drain tip).