Culture, Select Agent

Test Code

11873

CPT Codes
87081

Preferred Specimen

5 mL or 5 grams abscess collected in a Amies liquid transport swab, Amies gel transport swab, Amies liquid elution swab (ESwab) or equivalent or
5 mL or 5 grams tissue collected in a sterile leak-proof container

Minimum Volume

1 mL • 1 gram

Other Acceptable Specimens

Collected in a sterile leak-proof container: Sputum, bronchial washing/lavage, or vesicular fluid/aspirate • Cutaneous lesion collected in: Amies liquid transport swab, Amies gel transport swab, Amies liquid elution swab (ESwab) or equivalent • BacT/ALERT blood culture bottle set: Blood or bone marrow

Instructions

Indicate suspected organism

Transport Temperature

Swabs, blood or bone marrow: Room temperature
Tissue, sputum, bronchial washing/lavage, vesicular fluid/ aspirate: Refrigerated (cold packs)

Specimen Stability

Abscess or cutaneous lesion swab, tissue, or vesicular fluid/aspirate
Room temperature: 48 hours
Refrigerated: 48 hours
Frozen: Unacceptable

Respiratory
Room temperature: Unacceptable
Refrigerated: 48 hours
Frozen: Unacceptable

Blood and bone marrow
Room temperature: 48 hours
Refrigerated: Unacceptable
Frozen: Unacceptable

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

Viral transport medium • DNA Probe transport device • Dry swabs • Reject the following and immediately notify your supervisor, manager, or director, who will notify the appropriate public health authority: Environmental specimens, Suspicious substances (powders), or Veterinary specimens

Methodology
Bacterial Culture Aerobic
Includes routine isolation procedures. Suspicious isolates referred to state/local health department for definitive identification. Susceptibility testing not performed.

Setup Schedule

Set up: Daily; Report available: 3-4 days

Reference Range

See Laboratory Report

Clinical Significance

Pathogens recovered with this culture fit the categorical description of a Select Agent defined by the CDC and NIH. These pathogens include but are not limited to Bacillus anthracis, Brucella, Francisella tularensis, Yersinia pestis, Burkholderia mallei, Burkholderia pseudomallei. These select agents may cause anthrax, plague, mellioidosis and glanders, tularemia, and brucellosis. Each of these can cause septicemia, pneumonia, and tissue involvement.

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.