CULTURE, WOUND DEEP

This test will include an anaerobic culture - do NOT order the anaerobic culture separately

WOUND CULTURE

• Wound Culture
• Deep wound culture

• 87070 Culture, bacterial; any other source except urine, blood, or stool; aerobic with isolation and presumptive identification of isolates
• 87205 Smear, primary source with interpretation; Gram or Giemsa stain for bacteria, fungi, or cell types

• The following testing may be added, if appropriate, based on findings for oganism identification and to aid in patient treatment management.  Please note:  multiple additions are possible if more than one organism is identified
• 87076 Anaerobic isolate, additional methods required for definitive identification of isolates
• 87077 Aerobic isolate, additional methods required for definitive identification, each isolate (if appropriate)
• 87106 Culture, fungi, definitive identification, each organism, yeast (if appropriate)
• 87107 Culture, mold, definitive identification, each organism, mold (if appropriate)
• 87206 Smear, primary source with interpretation, fluorescent and/or acid fast stain for bacteria, fungi, or cell types (if appropriate)
• 87184 Susceptibility studies, disk method, per plate (if appropriate)
• 87185 Enzyme detection (e.g., beta lactamase) per enzyme (if appropriate)
• 87186 Susceptibility studies, microdilution or agar dilution, each multi-antimicrobial, per plate (if appropriate)

eSwab


Pus or other material properly obtained from an abscess, biopsy, aspirate, drainage, or wound. Specimens for anaerobic culture should be accompanied by a specimen for aerobic culture from the same site.

Any

Anaerobic transport tubes available from hospital storeroom.

Room Temperature. 

Do NOT refrigerate. Refrigeration may inhibit the viability of anaerobic organisms. 

Room temperature up to 2 days. 

• Improperly labeled specimen
• Specimens with prolonged transit time
• Specimen not submitted in appropriate transport container
• Insufficient volume
• External contamination

DAILY

Aerobic culture will be examined each day for 4 days
Anaerobic culture will be examined at 3rd and 5th day
 

Final Aerobic report available within 4 days of set up
Final Anaerobic report available within 5 days of set up

No growth of aerobic or anaerobic organisms

Critical/alert values:

• Gram-negative rods identified as ESBL or Carbapenemase producers
• MRSA isolated on an inpatient
• Any culture positive for potential agents of Bioterrorism:  Bacillus anthracis, Brucella, Burkolderia mallei/pseudomallei, Franciscella tularensis, or Yersinia pestis

Any specimen submitted for microbial culture can be contaminated with colonizing organisms that are not contributing to disease.  Organisms most likely to contaminate specimens of this type include, but are not limited to, Corynebacterium species and coagulase-negative staphlococci.  However, these organisms may be pathogenic in certain settings.

Slow growing Mycobacterium species or Nocardia species that may cause abscesses will not be recovered in routine bacterial cultures even if present since extended incubation periods or special media are necessary for their isolation.  Cultures for these organisms should be specifically requested.