Negative
. Blood culture bottles—one aerobic and one anaerobic.
■ Isolate and identify potentially pathogenic organisms causing
bacteremia; establish the diagnosis of endocarditis.
■ Obtained when sepsis, meningitis, osteomyelitis, arthritis,
bacterial pneumonia, fever of unknown origin, or occult abscess
is suspected.
■ Strict aseptic technique and skin preparation are essential to
collection.
■ Several sets of blood cultures are taken.
