Collection Medium:

Delivery Instructions:

Deliver to laboratory within 30 minutes of collection. If transport is 
delayed, specimens nust be refrigerated and delivered within 1 day of 
collection.

Testing Schedule:

0700-1630, 7 days a week, including holidays.

Analytic Time:

Cultures are held for 6 weeks.

Comments:

A.  Blood - media and instructions available upon request from the
Microbiology Lab.  A transfer device will be distributed with these 
culture bottles.  Test available for limited patient populations only.

B.  Sputum - collect an early morning specimen on three consecutive
days for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.  Collect 5-15 mL in a 
sterile container.  Pooled specimens are unacceptable.

C.  Swabs are suboptimal for the recovery of mycobacteria since they 
provide limited material and the hydrophobicity of the mycobacterial 
cell envelope often compromises a transfer from swabs onto media. See 
bacterial culture for collection and transport of all other specimen 
types.

Methodology:

Standard culture media and/or semi-automated radiometric detection

CPT Code:

87116

See also:
Bacterial Culture