TB Culture

TB Culture

Microbiology

TB

Any specimen from the body, may be used.

• CSF
• Fluid
• Blood
• Tissue
• Bone
• Bone marrow
• Sputum
• Tracheal aspirate
• Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)
• Bronchial wash
• Urine

• Green top tube for Blood, Bone marrow
• Sterile container for all specimens except Blood, Bone marrow

Sterile container                    Green top tube

• 0.5 ml CSF required
• 5.0 ml Fluid or aspirate required
• 40 ml Urine required
• Multiple tissues from the same surgical site should be limited to 3 specimens.
• Tissue from the Lymph node - place a small amount of sterile saline in the specimen container.
• Collect 3 sputum specimens on the same day, a minimum of 1 hour apart or optimally from an early morning collection from deep productive cough on 3 consecutive days.

Daily

As TB is detected and identified the information is made available to the health care provider.

• Swabs are not recommended for the isolation of Mycobacteria since they provide limited material and the bacteria adsorb onto the swab material which may contain toxic substances. Negative result obtained from specimens submitted on swabs are not reliable.
• Any specimen received frozen, in formalin, dry swabs or swabs in anaerobic transport medium , and non sterile container will not be tested. 
• Blood collected in EDTA , coagulated blood will not be tested.

• Specimen should be transported ASAP to the laboratory after collection in biohazard bag.
• Blood and CSF specimens should be stored and transported at room temperature after receipt in the laboratory.
• Other specimens should be stored and transported at 2-8°C temperature after receipt in the laboratory.

Offsite, Referral Laboratory