Synovial fluid culture
Joint, articular
When to request this test
Suspected joint infection, joint effusion, microcrystalline arthritis (alternative diagnosis)
Interferences & limitations
- Contamination by skin flora during sampling: follow careful aseptic sampling procedure
- Antibiotic treatment before sampling can inhibit bacterial growth leading to false-negative results
- Haemorrhagic sample may interfere with biochemistry (protein level not interpretable)
It is recommended to stop antibiotics before sample collection, if possible
14 days (preleminary results in a few hours – Gram staining, cytology, biochemistry, uric acid crystals, calcium pyrophosphate crystals)
- Sample nature: Synovial fluid
- Recommended volume: At least 1 mL per container/tube
- Type of container: Sterile tube/container (for microbiology) + citrate tube (for cytology)+ blood culture vial if possible (a pair or at least 1 anaerobic vial)
<2h at room temperature