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Test Code LAB246 Mycobacteria (AFB) Blood Culture

Performing Laboratory

Barnes-Jewish Hospital Laboratory

Methodology

Blood inoculated into a BACTEC Myco/F Lytic bottle is continuously monitored on a blood culture instrument. The bottle is incubated for 42 days. If the bottle signals as positive on the instrument, it is removed, and a stain is performed to look for acid-fast organisms. Acid-fast organisms are identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Specimen Requirements

Acceptable Specimens: 

Blood: Blood drawn into BACTEC MycoF/Lytic

Preferred Volume: 5 mL

Minimum Volume: 1 mL

 

 Labeling Procedure:

  1. Specimen source is required.
  2. If Mycobacterium tuberculosis is suspected, indicate on request form and call to alert the laboratory.

 

Collection Procedure:

 Blood

1.  Prep peripheral stick site with ChloraPrep solution (CHG) using back-and-forth friction.

2.  Scrub for 30 seconds. Allow the CHG on the skin to dry.

3.  While skin is drying, remove plastic cap from bottle and disinfect rubber top with alcohol          wipe.

4.   Allow the disinfectant to dry completely.

5.  Aseptically draw blood 5mL into the bottle using the 5 mL graduation marks on the bottle         label.

7.  Maintain sterility and forward promptly to the laboratory.

See collection instructions

Day(s) Test Set Up

Monday through Sunday

 

Turnaround Time:
STAT: not available
Routine: final negative report after 42 days of incubation

Test Classification and CPT Coding

87116

Reference Values

No Growth

 

Literature Reference:

  1. Martin I, Pfyffer GE, Parrish N. Mycobacterium: General characteristics, laboratory detection, and staining procedures. In: Carroll KC, Pfaller MA, Landry ML, et al, eds. Manual of Clinical Microbiology. 12th ed. ASM Press; 2019:558-575.

  1. Crump JA, Morrissey AB, Ramadhani HO, et al. Controlled comparison of BacT/Alert MB system, manual myco/f lytic procedure, and isolator 10 system for diagnosis of mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteremia. J Clin Microbiol. 2011;49(8):3054-7. Doi: 10.1128/JCM.01035-11

  2. Reimer LG. Laboratory detection of mycobacteremia. Clin Lab Med. 1994;14(1):99-105

Specimen Transport Temperature

Ambient/Refrigerate NO/Frozen NO

Specimen stability: 4 days

Additional Information

For BJH Laboratory Use Only


Minimum Volume: Blood: 1mL