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Test Code TBCULT Culture, Acid-Fast Bacilli (AFB), Body Fluid, Exudate, or Tissue

Methodology

Conventional Culture for Acid-Fast Bacilli/Auramine-Rhodamine Fluorescent Stain
Includes AFB culture and smear. Identification will be performed at Mayo Medical Laboratories, and susceptibility testing will be performed at Mayo Medical Laboratories when Mycobacterium tuberculosis is identified. Susceptibility testing for other Mycobacteria species will be performed off-site upon request.

Performing Laboratory

St. Clair Hospital Laboratory

Specimen Requirements

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

 

Body Fluid (Joint, Pleural, Spinal, or Other Body Fluids)
1. Aseptically collect 1 mL to 5 mL of fluid in a screw-capped, sterile container or a plain, red-top glass tube.
2. Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature. Send specimen refrigerated if specimen storage is >1 hour.
Note:  Specimen source is required on request form for processing.

 

Exudate
1. Obtain swab from affected area using an aerobic bacterial transport swab and place in a screw-capped, sterile container.
2. Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature. Send specimen refrigerated if specimen storage is >1 hour.

3. Swabs are inferior specimens for recovery of mycobacteria and whenever possible actual specimens such as fluids or tissue should be submitted.
Note:  Specimen source is required on request form for processing.

 

Tissue
1. Aseptically collect 1 g of tissue and place in a screw-capped, sterile container.
2. Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature. Send specimen refrigerated  if specimen storage is >1 hour.
Note:  Specimen source is required on request form for processing.

Reference Values

Negative (no mycobacteria isolated after 56 days)
If positive, mycobacterium will be identified.

Day(s) Test Set Up

Monday through Sunday