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Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB)(Non-Sterile) Resp Culture/Smear Rfx Sus/ID

Order Name C AFB LC
Test Number: 6000100
Revision Date 08/04/2026
Test Name Methodology LOINC Code
Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB)(Non-Sterile) Resp Culture/Smear Rfx Sus/ID
Culture  
SPECIMEN REQUIREMENTS
Specimen Specimen Volume (min) Specimen Type Specimen Container Transport Environment
Preferred See Instructions See Instructions Sterile Screwtop Container Refrigerated
Instructions Specimen: First morning sputum (not saliva) (three separate specimens with each one collected and submitted on three separate days is recommended), fasting gastric aspirate, induced sputum, whole blood, tissue, biopsy, bronchial aspirate, urine, skin, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), bone marrow, body fluid, stool. Swabs of exudate from skin sources are acceptable, otherwise swab specimens should not be submitted. Collect aspirate using sterile, nonbacteriostatic saline or other noninhibitory medium. Do not send syringe; it will be rejected.
Volume: 5-10 mL sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) or other respiratory specimen; 10 mL whole blood; 2 cm3 tissue; 5 mL CSF; 5-10 mL bone marrow (or as much as possible); 5-10 mL body fluid (pleural, pericardial, chronic peritoneal dialysate); 5-10 mL gastric aspirate/lavage (neutralized to pH 7 with sodium carbonate within 4 hours of collection); 20-40 mL urine (first morning specimen); 5 mL or 1 g stool; biopsy of skin
Minimum Volume: 2 mL (respiratory specimen, body fluid, CSF, gastric aspirate/lavage); 20 mL urine
Container: Sterile container with tight screw-cap seal or green-top (sodium heparin) tube or yellow-top (SPS) tube or Para-Pak® White
Stability: Refrigerated 7 days
Storage Instructions: Refrigerate. If sample is to be split for other tests, specimen should be divided at the time of collection so that each portion is transported at the appropriate temperature.

Causes for Rejection: Inadequate quantity of specimen; swab of specimen where the source is other than superficial exudate; specimen received in expired transport media or inappropriate transport device; specimen received after prolonged delay (more than 7 days); specimen received after leaking out of transport container into the specimen bag (trach-suction devices will often leak if the cap with tubing is not removed and replaced by a solid cap); syringe with attached needle; unlabeled specimen or name discrepancy between specimen and request label; lithium heparin tube; specimen submitted with eSwab device; specimen in paraffin block; specimen in a fixative; specimen submitted frozen
GENERAL INFORMATION
Testing Schedule Daily 
Expected TAT 43-56 days  
Clinical Use AKA:
Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) Resp Culture/Smear Rfx Sus/ID LC 183764
[LCA Name: Acid-fast (Mycobacteria) Smear and Culture With Reflex to Identification and Susceptibility Testing
Performing Labcorp Test Code 183764 
Notes Methodology Concentrated smears are stained with auramine/rhodamine and read by fluorescence microscopy, broth-based and/or agar-based culture. Culture is held for six weeks before negative is reported. Organisms from culture are identified by use of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or MALDI-TOF and/or nucleic acid sequencing. Susceptibility tests are done by broth-based and conventional methods.

Links to test Changes for this assay Effective 08/03/2026
08-03-2026_LiveWire.xlsx (Updated version)
08-03-2026_LiveWire.pdf (Updated version)
 
CPT Code(s) CPT 87116; 87206. If reflex testing is performed, concomitant CPT codes/charges will apply
Lab Section Reference Lab