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HelpTest Code LGBR Lower Respiratory Culture & Stain
Infectious
Specimen and Container/Tube
Specimen Type: Sputum, endotracheal aspirate, tracheal aspirate, donor airway secretions, bronchial washing, bronchial brushing, BAL, transtracheal aspirate, needle biopsy, fine needle aspirate, open lung biopsy
Preferred Specimen: Sterile, sealable, screw-cap container
Other Acceptable specimens: Transport swab
Volume
Minimum Volume: 1 mL (adult and pediatric)
Specimen Stability
|
Storage Temperature |
Stability |
|
Room temperature (20 - 25°C) |
24 hours |
|
Refrigerated (2 - 10°C) |
not acceptable |
|
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.
Tracheal/Transtracheal/Endotracheal aspirate: Skin is cleansed, anesthetized, and decontaminated.
Bronchial washing: Aspirate through inner chamber at bronchoscopy.
Broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL), bronchial washing: Aspirate through inner chamber at bronchoscopy.
Bronchial brush: Place in 1 mL sterile saline.
Needle biopsy, open lung biopsy: Surgically obtained.
Specimen Transport: Immediate
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.
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.
Reference Values
|
Test |
Age |
Sex |
Reference Range |
|
Culture |
All |
All |
No Growth/Normal Flora |
| Stain | All | All | No organisms seen |
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: 3 days
Testing Schedule: Monday - Sunday
Clinical Indications
- Aid in the diagnosis of bacterial infections.
CPT Codes
87205, 87070
LOINC Codes
30687205, 31987070
Methodology
Conventional culture on media
Synonyms/Keyword Search
CX, CX/ST, BACTERIAL CULTURE, CULTURE
Last Review Date
01/30/2026