Bacterial Culture and Gram Stain, Sterile Body Fluid
Test Mnemonic
BFCUL
Primary CPT Codes
- 87070 - QTY (1), Culture, Bacterial, Aerobic
- 87205 - QTY (1), Smear, Gram Stain
Variable CPT Codes (dependent on findings)
- 87015 - QTY (1), Processing, Cytospin
- 87015 - QTY (1), Processing, Fluid Concentration
- 87075 - QTY (1), Culture, Bacterial, Anaerobic
- 87077 - QTY (1), Identification, Aerobic Isolate
- 87076 - QTY (1), Identification, Anaerobic Isolate
- 87106 - QTY (1), Identification, Yeast
- 87153 - QTY (1), Identification, Nucleic Acid Sequencing
- 87181 - QTY (1), Susceptibility, Agar Dilution, per agent
- 87184 - QTY (1), Susceptibility, Disk Method, Per Plate
- 87185 - QTY (1), Susceptibility, Enzyme Detection, per enzyme
- 87186 - QTY (1), Susceptibility, Multi-antimicrobial
- 87186 - QTY (1), Susceptibility, Multi-antimicrobial Phoenix
- 87186 - QTY (1), Susceptibility, Multi-antimicrobial Sensititre
- 87186 - QTY (1), Susceptibility, Multi-antimicrobial Vitek
- 87182 - QTY (1), Susceptibility, Carbapenamase Enzyme detection, per isolate
LOINC ®
611-4
Aliases
- Bone Marrow
- Paracentesis
- Pleural Fluid
- Synovial Fluid
- Thoracentesis
- Amniotic Fluid
- Pericardial Fluid
- Peritonial Fluid
Includes
- Identification and susceptibility performed on postive cultures.
Performing Laboratory
Cleveland Clinic Laboratories
Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mL | Fluid, peritoneal | Sterile container | Ambient | Refrigerated | |
| 5 mL | Fluid, pericardial | Sterile container | Ambient | Refrigerated | |
| 5 mL | Fluid, amniotic | Sterile container | Ambient | Refrigerated | |
| 5 mL | Fluid, pleural | Sterile container | Ambient | Refrigerated | |
| 5 mL | Fluid, synovial | Sterile container | Ambient | Refrigerated | |
| 1 mL | Aspirate, bone marrow | Aerobic Blood Culture Bottle | Ambient | Ambient |
Minimum Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 mL |
Stability
| Environmental Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Ambient | 24 hours |
| Frozen | Unacceptable |
| Refrigerated | 48 hours |
Days Performed
Sun - Sat
Turnaround Time
7 days
Methodology
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Culture, Identification | |
| Stain |
Reference Range
Special Info
INVASIVELY COLLECTED synovial, peritoneal, pericardial, pleural, amniotic fluids, and bone marrow aspirates are acceptable for bacterial sterile body fluid culture. BODY FLUID COLLECTION should be performed after disinfecting the overlying skin with iodine or chlorhexidine preparation. Then obtain the specimen with a needle and syringe. Submit the fluid in a sterile specimen container or a capped syringe WITHOUT a needle. Fluid may also be inoculated into a set of blood culture bottles (up to 10 ml per bottle) to maximize test sensitivity. If using bottles, also provide a separate aliquot of at least 1 ml for preparation of Gram stain and for culture using solid media. BONE MARROW ASPIRATES should be inoculated directly into a single aerobic blood culture bottle at the bedside. Inoculate at least 1 mL of aspirate. If fungal culture or mycobacterial (AFB) culture of the marrow is also needed, then consult those tests' collection instructions to determine the additional samples that are needed. UNACCEPTABLE specimens include samples from indwelling DRAINS or any specimen received as a SWAB or in a swab container. Liquid from drains or specimens collected using swabs can be tested as "Bacterial Culture and Gram Stain, Abscess and Wound."
Clinical Info
If adequate volume of specimen is received, then most normally sterile body fluids are cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria using both solid and liquid nutrient media to provide opportunity for high specificity (solid media) and high sensitivity (broth media) culture. See "special info" for bone marrow details.
Reflex Tests
The following additional test(s) may be ordered depending on results: