Viral Respiratory, Rapid Culture with Reflex

14867

If Viral Respiratory, Rapid Culture Screen is Positive, then Rapid Respiratory Viruses identification will be performed at an additional charge (CPT codes(s): 87140 x7)

3 mL nasopharyngeal aspirate/washing or nasopharyngeal swab in V-C-M medium (green-cap) tube or equivalent

1 mL

3 mL nasopharyngeal aspirate, nasopharyngeal washing, bronchial lavage/wash or tracheal lavage/wash in sterile screw-cap container • Throat swabs on patients ≥2 years of age in V-C-M medium (green-cap) tube or equivalent

To maintain optimum viability, place swab or fluid into V-C-M (equal volumes of fluid and V-C-M) or equivalent and transport the specimen to the laboratory as soon as possible. Best recovery is obtained when the specimens are refrigerated at 2-8° C or kept on wet ice following collection and while in transit. If there will be a long delay before processing, specimens in V-C-M or equivalent should be frozen at -70° C or colder and transported on dry ice. Storage or transport at -20° C is not acceptable. Raw (unpreserved) specimens should only be refrigerated and not frozen.

V-C-M medium (green-cap) tube or equivalent
Room temperature: Unacceptable
Refrigerated: 4 days
Frozen -20° C: Unacceptable
Frozen -70° C: 30 days

Raw (unpreserved) specimens
Room temperature: Unacceptable
Refrigerated: 72 hours
Frozen: Unacceptable

Throat specimens on <2 year old patients • Received in non-viral transport medium such as nucleic acid or bacterial transport media • Non-respiratory specimens • Dry swabs • Received in formalin or other fixatives • Received at room temperature • Received frozen at -20° C

Set up: Mon-Sat; Report Available: 2-4 days

Diagnosis facilitates appropriate selection of antiviral drug therapy for Influenza A and RSV, and prevents inappropriate use of antibiotics.