PROSTHETIC JOINT CULTURE

Message

Diagnosis of fastidious or slow-growing bacteria responsible for prosthetic joint infections.

Test Code

LAB1833

Includes

Bacterial Culture, Gram Stain and sussceptibilty testing (if indicated)

Preferred Specimen

Synovial fluid in syringe chamber with needle removed or sterile leak-proof container. Peri-articular soft tissue, bone grafft, or
explanted prosthetic material in sterile containter.

Minimum Volume

1 mL synovial fluid or 1 g tissue

Instructions

Specimen Stability

Specimen processed immediately upon receipt. Delay in transport may reduce the likelihood of recovery of anaerobic and/or fastidous micro-organisms.

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

Tissues/fluids processed by another laboratory are considered non-sterile and will not rountinely be processed.

Methodology
Extended incubation culture

Setup Schedule

Sunday-Saturday

Reference Range

No growth

Performing Laboratory
West Virginia University Hospital, Inc.
Camden Clark Medical Center
United Hospital Center
Wheeling Hospital

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.