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Lab Dept: Microbiology/Virology Test Name: Abscess Culture and Gram Stain

This document provides information about an abscess culture and gram stain test including test codes, logistics, specimen details, interpretation, and references. The test involves gram staining and culturing a specimen from an abscess to identify aerobic organisms and determine antibiotic susceptibilities if requested.

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22 views3 pages

Lab Dept: Microbiology/Virology Test Name: Abscess Culture and Gram Stain

This document provides information about an abscess culture and gram stain test including test codes, logistics, specimen details, interpretation, and references. The test involves gram staining and culturing a specimen from an abscess to identify aerobic organisms and determine antibiotic susceptibilities if requested.

Uploaded by

ABHINABA GUPTA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Lab Dept: Microbiology/Virology

Test Name: ABSCESS CULTURE AND GRAM STAIN

General Information

Lab Order Codes: AC

Synonyms: Culture, Abscess

Related information: Refer to Wound Culture.

CPT Codes: 87070 – Culture, bacterial; any other source except urine, blood or
stool, aerobic, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolates
87205 – Smear, primary source with interpretation; Gram or Giemsa
stain for bacteria, fungi or cell types

The following testing may be added if appropriate based on findings for


organism identification (multiple additions are possible if more than one
organism is identified) and to aid in patient treatment management.

87075 – Culture, bacterial; any source, except blood, anaerobic with


isolation and presumptive identification of isoloates
87076 – Anaerobic isolate, additional methods required for definitive
identification of isolates
87077 – Aerobic isolate, additional methods required for definitive
identification, each isolate (if appropriate)
87106 – Culture, fungi, definitive identification, each organism, yeast (if
appropriate)
87107 – Culture, mold, definitive identification, each organism, mold (if
appropriate)
87147 – Culture, typing; immunologic method, other than
immunofluorescence. (e.g., agglutination grouping), per antiserum. (if
appropriate)
87184 – Susceptibility studies, disk method, per plate (if appropriate)
87185 – Enzyme detection (eg, beta lactamase), per enzyme (if
appropriate)
87186 – Susceptibility studies, microdilution or agar dilution, each multi-
antimicrobial, per plate (if appropriate)
87206 – Smear, primary source with interpretation, fluorescent and/or
acid fast stain for bacteria, fungi or cell types (if appropriate)

Test Includes: Gram stain, culture for aerobes. All aerobic organisms will be identified.
Susceptibilities will be performed if requested.

Logistics

Lab Testing Sections: Microbiology

Phone Numbers: MIN Lab: 612-813-5866


STP Lab: 651-220-6555

Test Availability: Daily, 24 hours

Turnaround Time: Preliminary reports are available at 24 hours; final results reported
within 5 days.

Special Instructions: Specimen site and date/time of collection are required for specimen
processing. Indicate suspected organisms and diagnosis. If a
Mycobacterium species (AFB, TB) or fungus is suspected, request AFB
Culture or Fungal Culture.

Specimen

Specimen Type: Pus, fluid or aspirated material. Aspirated material is superior to a swab
specimen. If a swab must be used, collect two, one for aerobes and one
for anaerobes.

Container: Aerobes: Swab transport medium or sterile container.

Volume: 0.5 - 5 mL pus, fluid or aspirated material

Collection: 1. Disinfect skin surface with 70% alcohol. Allow to dry.


2. Aspirate specimen directly into the syringe. Remove air from syringe.
3. Aseptically transfer material into an anaerobic transport vial for fluids
or sterile container.
4. If the specimen must be transported in the syringe, replace the
needle with a sterile Leur cap.
5. If unable to aspirate, 2 swabs are required. Pass a swab deep into
the lesion and firmly sample the lesion’s advancing edge. Place swab
into a culturette transport system for aerobes.

Transport/Storage: Onsite collections: Transport to the laboratory immediately at room


temperature. Do not refrigerate.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Offsite collections: Specimens must be promptly transported to the
laboratory, with the next available courier, not to exceed 24 hours from
the time of collection.

Sample Rejection: Improperly labeled specimen; specimens with prolonged transit time
(see Transport/Storage for requirements); specimen not submitted in
appropriate transport container; insufficient volume; external
contamination. If an unacceptable specimen is received, the physician
or nursing station will be notified and another specimen will be
requested before the specimen is discarded.

Interpretive

Reference Range: No growth


Alert Value: ● Gram-negative rods identified as ESBL or Carbapenemase producers
will be called to the physician or patient’s nurse. Infection Prevention
will be notified.

● If MRSA is isolated for the first time, and the patient location is not
Emergency department, the result will be called to the physician or
patient’s nurse.

● Any culture positive for potential agents of Bioterrorism – Bacillus


anthracis, Brucella, Burkolderia mallei/pseudomallei, Franciscella
tularensis, or Yersinia pestis will be called to Infectiuos Disease and/or
Infection Prevention.

Limitations: If anaerobes are suspected, specifically order Anaerobic Culture.

Any specimen submitted for microbial culture can be contaminated with


colonizing organisms that are not contributing to disease. Organisms
most likely to contaminate specimens of this type include, but are not
limited to, Corynebacterium sp. and coagulase-negative staphylococci.
However, these organisms may be pathogenic in certain settings.

Slow-growing Mycobacterium sp. or Nocardia sp. that may cause


abscesses will not be recovered in routine bacterial cultures even if
present, since extended incubation periods or special media are
necessary for their isolation. Cultures for these organisms should be
specifically requested.

Methodology: Culture

References: Cook, JH, and M Pezzlo (1992). Specimen receipt and accessioning.
Section 1. Aerobic bacteriology, 1.2.1-4. In HD Isenberg (ed) Clinical
Microbiology Procedures Handbook. American Society for Microbiology,
Washington DC

Miller, J Michael (1999) A Guide To Specimen Management in Clinical


Microbiology, American Society for Microbiology, Washington DC

Miller, J Michael, and HT Holmes (1999) Specimen Collection,


Transport, and Storage In PR Murray et al, (ed), Manual of Clinical
Microbiology, 7th edition, American Society for Microbiology,
Washington DC, pp 33-104

Updates: 3/22/2010: CPT Updates


6/19/2012: Added Alert Value.
6/20/2012: Alert Value amended
10/18/2018: CPT update

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