AFB Culture with Stain

General Information

Lab Name

AFB Culture w/Stain

Lab Code

AFBHSC

Epic Name

AFB Culture w/ Stain

Description

For CSF, see AFB Culture without stain [AFBHC]. For blood or bone marrow, see AFB Culture, Blood [AFBBC] [Fees may be added: ADDCON for concentration, ADDHOM for tissue homogenization, AFB30 for low temp skin incubation]

  • HMC specimen deadlines for same day smear results for respiratory specimens is 9 am.
  • UWMC Montlake specimen deadline for same day smear results is 3 am. If a specimen is received in the lab between 3 am and 7 am and same results are required, please call the Montlake microbiology lab by 7:30 am and ask to have a special shipment sent to HMC for processing.
  • For same day smear results for late-arriving specimens, see AFB Cytospin Stain [AFBCST].
  • AFB positive smears and cultures are called to the physician or forwarding laboratory.
  • Negative cultures are reported at 8 weeks.
  • For HMC patients, the first sputum or BAL specimen with this order will also have GeneXpert® MTB/RIF PCR test reflexively ordered, except for cystic fibrosis patients who have the test performed by request only, see also Respiratory MTB Complex PCR [MTBPC].
  • For UWMC-Montlake and UWMC-Northwest patients, the first sputum specimen with this order will also have GeneXpert® MTB/RIF PCR test reflexively ordered, except for cystic fibrosis patients who have the test performed by request only, see also Respiratory MTB Complex PCR [MTBPC].
  • Cultures that grow Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), MTB complex, or M. bovis will have susceptibilities reflexively ordered for an additional charge.

Synonyms

Acid Fast, AFB, MAC, MAI, Mycobacteria, TB, Tuberculosis

Components

Code Name
SDES Specimen Description
SREQ Special Requests
AFBSTN AFB Stain
CULT Culture
RPT Report Status

Interpretation

Method

Culture with Fluorescent Microscopy

Reference Range

See individual components

Ordering & Collection

Specimen Type

Sputum, Bronchoalveolar Lavage, BAL, Bronchial Fluid, Body Fluid, Tissue, Aspirate, Wound, Skin, Gastric Aspirate, Urine

Collection

Bronchial Wash, Bronchoalveolar Lavage or deep cough Sputum-indicate if induced.
Body Fluid: up to 50 mL.
Tissue: as much as possible
Gastric: Gastric washing should be considered only if sputum production cannot be induced. Collect a fasting, early morning specimen on three separate days.
Urine: Collect the first morning midstream or catheterized specimen. Minimum acceptable volume is 40 mL. It is recommended to collect 3 specimens on 3 separate days. No more than one specimen per day per patient will be accepted.
Unacceptable Specimens: DRY SWAB, Aptima swab, Swab in UTM, 24-hour-pooled sputum or urine, saliva and frozen specimen.

Handling Instructions

Transport within 30 minutes at room temperature or within 24 hours at refrigerator temperature.Bronchial Wash, Bronchoalveolar Lavage or sputum specimens must be refrigerated within 30 minutes and received within 5 days of collection.

Quantity

requested: see above or call Harborview Microbiology at 206 744-5858
minimum: 5-10 mL sputum recommended , will accept 1 mL sputum (suboptimal )

Processing

Performance

LIS Dept Code

Microbiology (MC)

Performing Location(s)

HMC Microbiology
206-744-5858

325 9th Ave, Rm # GWH-47, Seattle, WA 98104-2420

Frequency

Daily

Available STAT?

No

Billing & Coding

CPT codes

87116, 87206

Billing Comments

AFBS method charges for susceptibilities when needed. (CPT: 87188 x4)

LOINC

543-9

Interfaced Order Code

UOW689