Line Tip Culture

Do not send intravascular line tips on removal if there is no indication or clinical suspicion of infection.

Indications: site inflamed or unexplained fever with central line in situ.

Vascular line tips will only be processed if the patient has a positive blood culture within +/- 7 days of line removal. If the patient has not had a positive blood culture in the 7 days previous to receipt of the sample, it is stored in a fridge and a comment will be sent out.

Please contact us to discuss if you would like a line tip processed.

Sample type

• Cannula
  
• CVC
  
• Hickman line
  
• PICC line
  
• Vascath
  
• Tesio line
  
• Swan Ganz line
  
• Arterial line
  
• Portacath line

Specimen requirements

Send in a sterile universal container

Send a simultaneous peripheral blood culture and a line entry site swab if inflamed

In clinical details indicate line site

Minimum volume

N/A

Frequency of test

Daily

Turnaround time

3 days

What to request on EPR

Vascular line tip