Includes Acid fast stain, Mycobacterium culture, Concentration If culture is positive, identification will be performed at an additional charge.
Preferred Specimen(s)
Sputum: Collect three separate first morning deep cough sputum specimens for three consecutive days. Submit each specimen immediately following collection.
Instructions Specimens of gastric aspirates should be neutralized with 1 gm of sodium carbonate per 15 mL of specimen before transport to the laboratory. Specimens should be delivered to the laboratory within one day of collection.
Transport Container Sterile plastic screw-capped tube
Note: Blood should be transported in sodium heparinized (green-top) tubes or tubes with SPS anticoagulant (yellow-top) tubes.
Transport Temperature
- Room temperature 48 hrs,
- Refrigerated 5 days
Reject Criteria
- Swab transport medium >5 days old
- Dry swabs
- Expired swab transport medium or port-a-cul medium
- Specimen received in formalin and/or alcohol
- Raw specimens >5 days old
- A bagged specimen that has leaked out and contaminated the exterior of the container
- 24-hour pooled sputum or urine specimens
- Urine received in Boricon tube
- Frozen samples
- Broken slides
Methodology MGIT 960