Collection and transportation of specimens in anaerobic infections

Management of anaerobic infection depends on appropriate documentation of the bacteria causing the infection. Proper collection of specimens in a manner that avoids contamination by normal flora and prompt delivery to the microbiology laboratory are of utmost importance. Materials appropriate for anaerobic culture include blood specimens, aspirates of body fluids (pleural, pericardial, cerebrospinal, peritoneal, and joint fluids), urine collected by suprapubic aspiration, abscess contents, deep wound aspirates, and specimens obtained by special procedures such as transtracheal aspiration or lung puncture. Unacceptable or inappropriate specimens can be expected to yield normal flora also and therefore have no diagnostic value. These include coughed sputum, throat swabs, feces, gastric aspirates, voided urine, and vaginal swabs. Aspirates of liquid specimen or tissue are always preferred to swabs, although systems for the collection of all culture forms are commercially available.