Bacterial Culture and Gram Stain, Sterile Body Fluid
Test Mnemonic
BFCUL
CPT Codes
- 87070 - QTY (1)
- 87205 - QTY (1)
- 87015 - QTY (1)
- 87015 - QTY (1)
- 87075 - QTY (1)
- 87077 - QTY (1)
- 87076 - QTY (1)
- 87106 - QTY (1)
- 87153 - QTY (1)
- 87181 - QTY (1)
- 87184 - QTY (1)
- 87185 - QTY (1)
- 87186 - QTY (1)
- 87186 - QTY (1)
- 87186 - QTY (1)
- 87186 - QTY (1)
LOINC ®
611-4
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 |
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, and amniotic fluids are acceptable for bacterial sterile body fluid culture. Specimens from indwelling DRAINS should be tested as "abscess and wound" culture and not as "sterile body fluid" culture. To collect the sterile body fluid, disinfect overlying skin with iodine or chlorhexidine preparation and obtain specimen with needle and syringe. Submit the fluid in a sterile specimen container or a capped syringe WITHOUT a needle. Swabs will be rejected. Fluid may 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 inoculation of solid media.
Clinical Info
If adequate volume of specimen is received, then 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.