Acid-Fast (Mycobacteria)

Test ID: 

705674

CPT code:

87190 (x4)

Synonyms:

AFB Susceptibility Testing
Rapid-grower Susceptibility Testing
Susceptibility Testing, AFB
TB Susceptibility Testing

Clinical Use:

Determine the susceptibility of the isolated organism to a profile of antimycobacterial agents.

Additional Test information:

Susceptibilities should be performed on the first organism isolated from a patient, and at one- to three-month intervals if that organism continues to be isolated while the patient is on therapy. Susceptibility tests should be performed in patients with recurrent tuberculosis as resistant strains are common in recurrent infection. Outbreaks have occurred in health care workers, prison inmates, and prison employees.1,2 Failure to take all drugs in a multidrug regimen can lead to a shift toward resistant organisms and treatment failure. Nontuberculous mycobacteria, particularly strains of the M avium complex, are resistant to those drugs used for therapy of M tuberculosi.

Specimen Type:

Isolated mycobacteria from primary clinical specimen on media slant or in broth.

Container Type: 

Media slant, tightly sealed, in etiologic agent packaging.

Storage Instructions:

Maintain culture at room temperature.

Rejection Criteria

Specimen received leaking or in broken transport tube or vial; specimen received in expired transport media; mixed culture; unlabeled culture or name discrepancy between specimen and request label.