Culture, Acid-Fast Bacilli, Blood

Culture, Acid-Fast Bacilli, Blood

Alternate Test Name

Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB), Blood Culture

Epic Mnemonic
Sunquest Mnemonic

LAB3169
AFBBL

Category

Sendouts

Methodology

Automated Blood Culture System

Test Performance Schedule

Sunday - Saturday

Result Availability

Positive cultures are reported as soon as detected.
Final: Negative within 45 days

Container

Whole blood or bone marrow in BACTEC MycoF bottle or Green top (Sodium Heparin) tube

Volume

Pref. Vol.: 5.0 mL
Min. Vol.: 3.0 mL

Collection Instructions

Patient Preparation:
Use ChloraPrep Triple Swab Sticks
• Open packet and use one swab stick to prep bottle by saturating bottle/tube top
• Use a second swab stick to prep the patient’s arm by vigorously scrubbing back and forth for 30 seconds
• Use the third swab stick to cleanse the site again
• Allow to air dry before venipuncture

NOTE: Infants less than 2 months of age:
• Donotuse ChloraPrep® or Betadine® to cleanse skin
• Use three alcohol swab sticks and cleanse the site with each pad for 30 seconds
• Once dry, collect the sample without re-palpating the site

Collection:
• Collect sufficient volume of blood in sterile plastic syringe or use direct draw adapter
• Inoculate media with 5mL of blood
• Patient name, date and time of collection, amount of blood collected (when applicable), and phlebotomist tech code must be written on labels and requisition
• Donotplace labels over any existing barcode labels

Transportation Instructions

Room temperature

Stability

• Room Temperature: 24 hours
• Refrigerated: Unacceptable
• Frozen: Unacceptable

Causes for Rejection

As appropriate

Remarks

Only one AFB culture is to be drawn per 24-hour time period

CPT Codes

87116

Effective/Revised

10/25/2019

Lorum Ipsum Opsom