True or False: Anaerobic blood cultures are drawn before aerobic cultures.

The statement that anaerobic blood cultures are drawn before aerobic cultures is false. The correct procedure is to draw aerobic cultures prior to anaerobic cultures during blood culture collection. This order is important because the aerobic cultures require exposure to oxygen to facilitate the growth of aerobic microorganisms, while anaerobic cultures need a complete absence of oxygen to grow anaerobic organisms.

Drawing aerobic cultures first ensures that any potential contamination with ambient air, which contains oxygen, has not compromised the anaerobic cultures. This protocol maximizes the chance of detecting all types of bacteria present in the bloodstream. Following this sequence helps ensure accurate and reliable results in diagnosing infections. The procedural standard is universally applied across various patient demographics, including adults and children, making the other options less relevant in this context.