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Test Code RVRCR Viral Respiratory, Rapid Culture with Reflex [14867X]

Specimen Required

3 mL Nasopharyngeal aspirate/wash or Nasopharyngeal swab

Specimen Minimum Volume

1 mL

Specimen Stability

VCM or equivalent
Room temperature: Unacceptable
Refrigerated: 4 days
Frozen -20° C: Unacceptable
Frozen -70° C: 30 days

Raw (unpreserved) specimens
Room temperature: Unacceptable
Refrigerated: 72 hours
Frozen: Unacceptable

Rejection Due To

Throat specimen on <2 year old patients • Specimen in non-viral transport medium such as nucleic acid or bacterial transport media • Non-respiratory specimens • Dry swabs • Specimen in formalin or other fixatives • Received room temperature or frozen -20° C

Day(s) and Time(s) Performed

Set up: Mon-Sat; Report available: 2-4 days

Method Name

Centrifuge-Enhanced Culture • Immunofluorescence Stain

Includes

If Viral Respiratory, Rapid Culture Screen is Positive, then Rapid Respiratory Viruses identification will be performed at an additional charge (CPT codes(s): 87140 x7)

Collection Container / Tube

Preferred: Nasal Swab in VCM medium (green top) tube or UTM.
Other Acceptable Container: NP aspirate or NP washing or Bronchial lavage/wash or Tracheal lavage/wash in sterile screw-cap container Throat swabs on patients 2 years old in V-C-M medium (green-cap) tube or equivalent

Transport / Storage Conditions

Nasopharyngeal aspirate or Nasopharyngeal washing or Bronchial lavage/wash or Tracheal lavage/wash collected in sterile screw capped container: Refrigerated (cold packs)

All other specimens: Frozen -70° C

Special Instructions

To maintain optimum viability, place swab or fluid into VCM (equal volumes of fluid and VCM) or equivalent and transport the specimen to the laboratory as soon as possible. Best recovery is obtained when the specimens are refrigerated at 2-8° C or kept on wet ice following collection and while in transit. If there will be a long delay before processing, specimens in VCM or equivalent should be frozen at -70° C or colder and transported on dry ice. Storage or transport at -20° C is not acceptable. Raw (unpreserved) specimens should only be refrigerated and not frozen.

Reference Values

Negative

CPT Codes

87254

Clinical Reference

Diagnosis facilitates appropriate selection of antiviral drug therapy for Influenza A and RSV, and prevents inappropriate use of antibiotics.

Analytic Time

Set up: Mon-Sat; Report available: 2-4 days