Effect of silica‐sprayed collection tubes on synovial fluid bacterial culture

Abstract Introduction Silica‐sprayed tubes (SSTs) are often used to transport synovial fluid samples in equine practice. They promote the coagulation of the sample. The objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of SST on bacterial culture. Materials and methods The study was divided into two parts: sterile saline (Part A) and synovial fluid (Part B). Four common bacteria associated with equine synovial sepsis were used: Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Three collection tubes were used: STT, plain (no‐additives) and brain and heart infusion (BHI) broth. Bacteria were cultured in horse blood agar plates for 48 h. Outcome variables were negative culture, positive culture and total number of colony‐forming units (CFUs). Statistical analysis was performed using Mann–Whitney U test, and significance was set at p