UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES
MEDICAL CENTER

PROCEDURE

 

PROCEDURE:

 121

EFFECTIVE:

 10/89

REVISION:

5/05

APPROVED:

 5/05

PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING DIALYSATE CULTURE AND CELL COUNT

PURPOSE: To obtain a sample of effluent for diagnostic testing using sterile technique

EQUIPMENT:

  1. Mask
  2. Two 10ml syringes
  3. One 20ml syringe
  4. Three 20 gauge 1" needles
  5. Sterile culture container
  6. One 3.5ml purple top tube
  7. Three patient identification labels
  8. Exam gloves (non sterile)
  9. Two blood culture bottles
  10. Three alcohol pads

NURSING ACTION:

PROCEDURE STEPS:

A.     To obtain dialysate sample from CAPD patient:

  1. Have patient do an exchange using their usual procedure.

  2. Take spent bag of dialysate (no longer connected to patient in any way) and invert to drain back into fill bag (fill bag has an injection port).

  3. Mask.

  4. Wash hands, put on gloves.

  5. Place a needle on each syringe.

  6. Prepare medication port of dialysate bag or by doing a 10-second circular scrub with an alcohol pad.

  7. Puncture prepared area with sterile syringe/needle and draw up dialysate.

KEYPOINT: Specimen requirements:

For routine culture:
Two 10ml syringes of dialysate are needed, one for each blood culture bottle.

For cell count:
3.5ml of dialysate in a purple top tube and 5ml in a red top tube without separator is needed.

For AFB or fungal cultures and/or gram stain:
10ml of dialysate in a sterile culture container is needed.

  1.  Disinfect top of purple top tube prior to injecting dialysate by performing a 10-second circular scrub with an alcohol pad.

  2. Inject 3.5ml of dialysate into purple top tube for cell count.

  3. Inject 10ml of dialysate into each blood culture bottle.

  4. Inject 10ml of dialysate into the sterile culture container for AFB, fungus.

  5. Inject 5ml of dialysate into red top tube without separator for Gram Stain.

  6. Label all specimens as Dialysate for specific test.

  7. Send all specimens to laboratory.

 

REFERENCES:
American Nephrology Nursing Association
ANNA: Core Curriculum for Nephrology Nursing, 2000.
National Institutes of Health, NIDDK Laboratory Guide

RESOURCE PERSON(S): Cathy Brothers, RN, Valerie Bosley, RN


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