Body Fluid Culture

Test Code

LAB269

Alias/See Also

CXFLD; LAB6563; Amniotic Fluid Culture; Synovial Fluid Culture; Pertinoeal Fluid Culture; Pleural Fluid Culture; Cyst Fluid Culture; Pericardial fluid Culture; Pancreatic Fluid Culture.

CPT Codes
87070

Includes

Culture; isolation; identification of aerobic microorganisms. Susceptibility testing on all significant aerobic isolates. Gram smear.

Preferred Specimen

Always submit as much fluid as possible, never submit a swab dipped in fluid.
For e-swab pour the fluid into the e-swab liquid/preservative.

Patient Preparation
Disinfect overlying skin with 2% iodine tincture or chlorohexidine. Obtain specimen via percutaneous needle aspiration or surgery.

Instructions

Body fluid in sterile container,capped syringe (needle removed), dialysate bag, E-swab tube for preservation of microorganisms.
Note: Body fluids inoculated in blood culture bottles will be accepted for testing with prior arrangement with microbiology dept.. No gram stain will be included if we only receive innoculated bottles. Some organisms may not grow in only this media.

Transport Container

Sterile container,capped syringe (needle removed), dialysate bag, E-swab tube for preservation of microorganisms.

Transport Temperature

Room temperature; TRANSPORT IMMEDIATELY (<15 minutes)

Specimen Stability

1 hour room temp for sterile container
24 hours room temp e-swab

Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)

Unlabeled specimen; failure to follow proper collection and storage procedures; exceeds time requirements. <1 ml fluid.

Methodology
Culture

Setup Schedule

Daily

Report Available

5 days

Reference Range

No growth in 5 days

The CPT Codes provided in this document are based on AMA guidelines and are for informational purposes only. CPT coding is the sole responsibility of the billing party. Please direct any questions regarding coding to the payor being billed. Any Profile/panel component may be ordered separately. Reflex tests are performed at an additional charge.