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HelpTest Code AFBC Acid Fast Bacilli Culture & Stain
Infectious
Specimen and Container/Tube
Specimen Type: Sputum, tracheal aspirates, gastric aspirates, BAL/bronchial washings, fluid, tissue, abscess, urine, stool
Preferred Specimen: Sterile, sealable, screw-cap container
Volume
Minimum Volume:
Sputum: 3 mL
BAL: 5 mL
Gastric aspirates: 5 mL
CSF, joint fluid, pericardial fluid: 0.5 mL
Other fluids: 10 mL
Urine: 40 mL
Stool: 1 gm
Specimen Stability
|
Storage Temperature |
Stability |
|
Room temperature (20 - 25°C) |
not acceptable |
|
Refrigerated (2 - 10°C) |
24 hours |
|
Frozen (-20°C) |
not acceptable |
Collection Instructions
Specimen Collection:
Sputum: Rinse mouth or gargle with water to remove excess oral flora. Patient must cough deeply. At least one first morning specimen is recommended.
Tracheal aspirates: Skin is cleansed, anesthetized, and decontaminated.
Gastric aspirates: Physician collected specimen.
Bronchial washings: Aspirate through inner chamber at bronchoscopy.
Fluid: Decontamination of overlying skin and aspiration of fluid.
Tissue: Obtained after surgical debridement is preffered.
Abscess: Clean overlying skin surface with 70% alcohol. Aspirated with syringe, curette the lining of the lesion.
Urine: Clean catch (mid-stream), early morning specimen is best for AFB recovery.
Stool: If collected in bedpan, must not be contaminated with urine, residual soap, or disinfectant.
Specimen Transport: Immediate. If transport is delayed, refrigerate specimens prior to transport.
Specimen Handling and Transport Instructions
UCMC Onsite Instructions: Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately.
UCMC Offsite and UC MedLab Outreach Instructions: Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately. If transport is delayed, refrigerate specimens prior to transport.
Rejection Criteria
- Common specimen rejected situations include: incorrect specimen type, insufficient volume, incorrect collection container, missing or incomplete specimen identifiers, incorrect specimen transport, or specimens outside stability limits.
- Pooled sputum specimens will be rejected.
- Swab specimens will be rejected.
- Protected sterile brush specimens will be rejected.
- Gastric aspirate specimens are only accepted for AFB culture on patients who cannot provide a sputum specimen.
Reference Values
|
Test |
Age |
Sex |
Reference Range |
|
Stain |
All |
All |
Negative |
| Culture | All | All | No Growth |
Critical Values
|
Test |
Result |
|
Stain |
Positive |
| Culture | Growth |
Turnaround Time
Turnaround times are relative to the time the specimen is received in the test laboratory.
STAT Turnaround Time: not available
Routine Turnaround Time: up to 6 weekss
Testing Schedule: Monday - Sunday
Clinical Indications
- Infection of Mycobacteria species
CPT Codes
87206, 87116
LOINC Codes
30287206
Methodology
Automated culture method, Auramine O fluorescent stain
Synonyms/Keyword Search
Acid Fast Bacilli, Smear Only, Acid Fast Bacilli, Mycobacteria Culture, Tuberculosis, ACID FAST, AFB,C&S, AFBC, MYCOBACTERIA, CULTURE, TUBERCULOSIS, NOCARDIA, TB
Last Review Date
08/15/2025