Collect
Submit a slant or at least 2.0 mL of a broth culture. Specify the type of media used.
Specimen Preparation
N/A
Patient Prep
N/A
Pediatric Collection
N/A
Unacceptable Conditions
Mixed cultures or non-viable organisms; there is an additional charge for purification/isolation of cultures containing a non-acid-fast contaminant, or more than one mycobacterial species.
Storage Transport Temp
N/A
Stability
N/A
Notes
Acid-fast Bacilli (AFB) Identification. If M. abscessus subspecies, M. avium complex, or M. chelonae is identified, AFB6 will be performed and billed accordingly.
The molecular markers (rrl and rrs) will be reported when the identification is considered final with the exception of M. intracellulare. Resistance markers for M. intracellulare will be reported based on the line probe assay preliminary identification of M. intracellulare; erm(41) results will be only reported for M. abscessus subsp. abscessus and M. abscessus subsp. bolletii.
Phenotypic MIC antimicrobial susceptibility testing for slowly growing and for rapidly growing NTM will follow as currently performed.
Appropriate NTM antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) will include MIC, and AFB6 when appropriate.