Mycobacterial Culture, Blood (CTBBL)

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Test Code: CTBBLSO

Overview
Ordering
Specimen
Performing
Clinical/Interpretive
Contacts
Coding

Synonyms/Keywords

Acid-Fast Bacilli (AFB)

AFB (Acid-Fast Bacilli)

Bacillus, Acid-Fast

Culture, TB (Tuberculosis)

MTB (Mycobacterium tuberculosis)

Mycobacteria Culture

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)

TB (Tuberculosis)

TB (Tuberculosis) Culture

Tubercle Bacilli: Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB)

Useful For

Diagnosing mycobacteremia

Specimen Requirements

Fasting Required	Specimen Type	Preferred Container/Tube	Acceptable Container/Tube	Specimen Volume	Specimen Minimum Volume (allows for 1 repeat)	Pediatric Minimum Volume (no repeat)
No	Whole Blood	Green Top Tube (GTT) (sodium or lithium heparin)	SPS/Isolator System	8 to 10 mL per culture	5 mL

Collection Processing Instructions

**All requests must be reviewed before further processing the request.**

Specimen must be processed within 72 hours of collection.

Specimen source is required.

1. Send specimen in original tube.

2. Isolator System/SPS tubes are acceptable, but not preferred.

3. Draw blood in an Isolator/SPS tube and send 8 mL of whole blood in the original Isolator tube.

4. Note: when sending SPS tube, it must be clearly labeled SPS. If label is obscured, sample may be cancelled, as ACD (yellow top) is not an acceptable tube type.

Specimen Stability Information

Specimen Type	Temperature	Time
Whole Blood	Ambient (preferred)	72 hours
Whole Blood	Refrigerted	72 hours

Rejection Criteria

Specimens in collection tubes other than those listed above.

Interference

Results must be interpreted in conjunction with the patient's history and clinical picture.

A negative result does not rule out mycobacteremia. The organism may be present at quantities below the limit of detection or may be transiently present.

If Mycobacterium genavense is suspected, indicate on request form or contact laboratory. Mycobactin J (an iron supplement) will then be added to the culture to support growth.

Performing Laboratory Information

Performing Location	Day(s) Test Performed	Report Available	Methodology/Instrumentation
Mayo Clinic Laboratories	Monday through Sunday	42 days	Continuously Monitored Automated Broth Culture Instrument with Conventional Methods for Identification of Mycobacteria

Reference Lab

Mayo Clinic Laboratories

Reference Range Information

Performing Location	Reference Range
Mayo Clinic Laboratories	Negative If positive, mycobacteria is identified. A final negative report will be issued after 42 days of incubation.

Performing Location

Reference Range

Mayo Clinic Laboratories

Negative

If positive, mycobacteria is identified.

A final negative report will be issued after 42 days of incubation.

Interpretation

A positive result may support the diagnosis of mycobacteremia.

Outreach CPTs

CPT	Description	Comments
87116	Mycobacterial Culture
87118	ID MALDI-TOF Mass Spec AFB	if appropriate
87150	ID Mtb Speciation, PCR	if appropriate
87150	Mycobacteria Probe Ident, Broth	if appropriate
87150	Mycobacteria Probe Ident, Solid	if appropriate
87153	Mtb PZA Confirmation, pcnA sequence	if appropriate
87153	Mycobacteria Identification by Sequencing	if appropriate
87150	ID, MTB complex Rapid PCR	if appropriate

Synonyms/Keywords

Acid-Fast Bacilli (AFB)

AFB (Acid-Fast Bacilli)

Bacillus, Acid-Fast

Culture, TB (Tuberculosis)

MTB (Mycobacterium tuberculosis)

Mycobacteria Culture

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)

TB (Tuberculosis)

TB (Tuberculosis) Culture

Tubercle Bacilli: Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB)

Ordering Applications

Ordering Application	Description
COM	Mycobacterial Culture, Blood only (CTBBL)
Cerner	Mycobacterial Culture, Blood only (CTBBL)

If the ordering application you are looking for is not listed, contact your local laboratory for assistance.

Specimen Requirements

Fasting Required	Specimen Type	Preferred Container/Tube	Acceptable Container/Tube	Specimen Volume	Specimen Minimum Volume (allows for 1 repeat)	Pediatric Minimum Volume (no repeat)
No	Whole Blood	Green Top Tube (GTT) (sodium or lithium heparin)	SPS/Isolator System	8 to 10 mL per culture	5 mL

Collection Processing

**All requests must be reviewed before further processing the request.**

Specimen must be processed within 72 hours of collection.

Specimen source is required.

1. Send specimen in original tube.

2. Isolator System/SPS tubes are acceptable, but not preferred.

3. Draw blood in an Isolator/SPS tube and send 8 mL of whole blood in the original Isolator tube.

4. Note: when sending SPS tube, it must be clearly labeled SPS. If label is obscured, sample may be cancelled, as ACD (yellow top) is not an acceptable tube type.

Specimen Stability Information

Specimen Type	Temperature	Time
Whole Blood	Ambient (preferred)	72 hours
Whole Blood	Refrigerted	72 hours

Rejection Criteria

Specimens in collection tubes other than those listed above.

Interference

Results must be interpreted in conjunction with the patient's history and clinical picture.

A negative result does not rule out mycobacteremia. The organism may be present at quantities below the limit of detection or may be transiently present.

If Mycobacterium genavense is suspected, indicate on request form or contact laboratory. Mycobactin J (an iron supplement) will then be added to the culture to support growth.

Useful For

Diagnosing mycobacteremia

Reference Range Information

Performing Location	Reference Range
Mayo Clinic Laboratories	Negative If positive, mycobacteria is identified. A final negative report will be issued after 42 days of incubation.

Performing Location

Reference Range

Mayo Clinic Laboratories

Negative

If positive, mycobacteria is identified.

A final negative report will be issued after 42 days of incubation.

Interpretation

A positive result may support the diagnosis of mycobacteremia.

For more information visit:

http://labtestsonline.org

Performing Laboratory Information

Performing Location	Day(s) Test Performed	Report Available	Methodology/Instrumentation
Mayo Clinic Laboratories	Monday through Sunday	42 days	Continuously Monitored Automated Broth Culture Instrument with Conventional Methods for Identification of Mycobacteria

Reference Lab

Mayo Clinic Laboratories

For billing questions, see Contacts

Outreach CPTs

CPT	Description	Comments
87116	Mycobacterial Culture
87118	ID MALDI-TOF Mass Spec AFB	if appropriate
87150	ID Mtb Speciation, PCR	if appropriate
87150	Mycobacteria Probe Ident, Broth	if appropriate
87150	Mycobacteria Probe Ident, Solid	if appropriate
87153	Mtb PZA Confirmation, pcnA sequence	if appropriate
87153	Mycobacteria Identification by Sequencing	if appropriate
87150	ID, MTB complex Rapid PCR	if appropriate

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For most current information refer to the Marshfield Laboratory online reference manual.

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26346 Mycobacterial Culture, Blood (CTBBL)