Acceptable specimens not normally colonized: abscesses, deep wounds, intrauterine devices, percutaneous transtracheal aspirates, sterile body fluids, suprapubic aspirations, or tissue.

1. 1. Stability of specimens is dependent on the volume and nature of the specimen.
   a. Small volumes of aspirated material or small biopsies should be processed with 10-30 minutes of collection, unless placed in anaerobic transport media or Eswab.
   b. Large pieces of tissue or large volumes of purulent material may maintain viability of anaerobes for 8-24 hours.
   c. Eswabs will maintain viability of most anaerobes for up to 24 hours, at either room temperature (22-24℃) or refrigerator temperatures (2-8℃). 

   2. Label the container with the patient's full name, date of birth, identification number, date and time of collection, initials of the person collecting the specimen, and the specimen source.

   3. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.

   4. The specimen source is required on the request form for processing.

   5. Indicate "Physician is looking for anaerobes" on the request form.

The specimen should arrive within 24 hours of collection.

87075 - Culture Anaerobic (EAP 30060240)
87076 - Identification (if appropriate)