Preliminary results are reported in 12-24 hours. The health care provider will be notified of positive cultures. Negative cultures are reported after 6 weeks.
Test Updated:
AFBS
AFB Culture, Cerebrospinal Fluid
CSF, AFB Culture
Culture, CSF, AFB
Mycobacteria Culture, CSF
Spinal Fluid, AFB Culture
TB Culture, CSF
AFB Smear and Culture
BAFB
AFB BTA CULTURE
Acid Fast Bacilli Culture, CSF
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Test Overview
Culture
Isolate and identify mycobacteria
No growth of mycobacteria
* Reference ranges may change over time. Please refer to the original patient report when evaluating results.
Specimen Requirements
Please contact the laboratory at 936-6877 for smear only or culture only requests. This test is rarely positive, and is no longer performed as a routine test. A staff physician or a member of Infectious Diseases Service must contact the laboratory with the clinical necessity for the test before the specimen will be processed. Collect CSF after sterile preparation of aspiration site. Indicate current antibiotic therapy and clinical diagnosis. Rejection criteria: laboratory not notified prior to sending specimen, no clinical indication written on requisition, insufficient specimen volume. Do not incubate. For optimum recovery, send directly to the Microbiology Laboratory. If specimen must be stored, refrigerate immediately after specimen collection. May be refrigerated up to 24 hours.
MLabs client requests for this test will be sent to Mayo Medical Laboratories (Focus Diagnostics). Collect CSF in sterile tube or container. Refrigerate.