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Mycobacteria (AFB) Blood Culture

Ordering Info & Methodology

Test Code

Cerner Synonyms

MYCOBACTERIAAFBBLOODCULTURE

Culture AFB Blood, AFB Blood Culture, AFB Blood C&S, Mycobacterial Culture, Mycobacterial, tb, tuberculosis, ntm, afb

Turn Around Time

Methodology

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All specimens will have an acid-fast screening smear performed along with mycobacterial culture. Specimens are concentrated and processed Monday through Saturday (except statutory holidays) at approximately 0900 hours.

Ordering Guide

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Specimen Requirements

Sample Type

Collection Container

Alternate Collection Containers

Sputum, Bronchoscopy specimens, Biopsy specimens, Pleural fluid

C&S Container (unless otherwise instructed)

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Add on stability
This is the length of time after sample collection that this analyte is stable. Test can be added to a previously collected sample if the time since collection is less than the add on stability time.

Minimum Volume

Add On Stability

Collection and Shipping Requirements

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Reference Intervals

Female Reference Interval

Age Category
Reference Interval
units

Male Reference Interval

Age Category
Reference Interval
units
Additional Notes

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Measurement Uncertainty (MU)
Every laboratory value is an estimate of the true concentration of substance. MU is the 95% confidence interval around that estimate. 95% of the time, the true concentration will be within the range of the reported value ±MU. This value is based on analytical variability (precision) and does not reflect other factors such as sample collection and handling which may also affect the result.

Example

Reported sodium = 140 mmol/L
Sodium MU = 1%
Expanded uncertainty = 140 mmol/L ± 1% or 140mmol/L ± 1.4 mmol/L
Interpretation - the true value of sodium in the sample is in the range 138.6-141.4 mmol/L, with 95% confidence.

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Measurement Uncertainty

STAT AFB requests are not offered on a routine basis, and will only be considered after consultation with the Medical Microbiologist.

Please specify whether TB is suspected versus other Mycobacterium species.

Special Instructions:

  • Bone Marrow:

    see Bone Marrow culture


  • Blood Culture:

    see Blood Culture


  • Sputum:

    Please collect an early morning specimen on 3 consecutive days.  Alternatively, for IPAC purposes, collect 3 specimens within 24 hours with a minimum time span of 8 hours between collections.  Submit each specimen separately.


  • Gastric Washing:

    must use a KB-treated container.  This container holds a buffer to neutralize stomach acid.  Optimal time for collection is early in the morning, before meals.  Submit no more than 100 mL of 3 fasting specimens collected on consecutive days.  Refrigerate after collection.


  • Urine:

    Collected early morning specimens taken on 3 consecutive days.  Do not split one specimen into 3 containers.  Do not submit 24-hour urine collections.

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