Mycobacterial (AFB) Smear AFSM

Method(s) Fluorochrome Stain
Specimen Required
Collect

Respiratory specimens. Also acceptable: Body fluid, CSF, gastric aspirate, tissue, or urine.

Transport

Transport refrigerated.

* Collection Instructions *

Specimen Preparation:

  • Place each specimen in an individually sealed bag.

Respiratory specimens:

  • Transfer (for each collection) 5-10 mL to a sterile container (Min: 1 mL).

Body Fluids or CSF:

  • Transfer 5 mL to a sterile container (Min: 1 mL).

Gastric Aspirates:

  • Must be neutralized (pH7) with sodium carbonate if transport is delayed for more than four hours.
  • Transfer 5-10 mL to a sterile container (Min: 1 mL).

Tissue:

  • Transfer to a sterile container and place on gauze moistened with sterile non-bacteriostatic saline to prevent drying (Min: Visible).

Urine:

  • Transfer at least 40 mL to a sterile container (Min: 10 mL).
Stability

Ambient: 24 hours

Refrigerated: 1 week

Frozen: 1 week

Unacceptable Conditions
  • Dry material or material collected and transported on a wooden shaft swab.
  • Acid Fast Stain: Stool, blood, bone marrow, grossly bloody specimens, CSF if less than 5 mL, or urine specimens if less than 40 mL.
Schedule Daily
Billing Code 3010005
CPTCode 87206
Notes An Acid Fast Smear without culture is only used for rapid preliminary information and under most circumstances cannot be ordered without an acid fast culture with smear from concentrate. With regard to the disease caused by acid fast organisms, the predictive value of a positive smear result is very high, but the predictive value of a negative smear result is extremely low.
Preferred Specimen Collection Device(s)
Reference Interval

No acid fast bacilli seen.

No Appointment Necessary
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12 Patient Service Centers in Central New York.

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