Aiding in diagnosis of lower respiratory tract infections.

Routine bronch culture and quantitative bronch cultures (7620) should not both be ordered, as these are duplicate cultures with differing methods of quantitation.

Sterile container

Sterile container

Optimal - in 1 mL bacterial transport medium

Acceptable - Sterile nonbacteriostatic saline or Ringers lactate solution

Ambient - 30 minutes (optimal), however specimens received within 2 hours are acceptable

Refrigerated - NO

Frozen - NO

• Improper label (unlabeled or mislabeled)
• Time delay between time of collection and receipt of specimen
• Improper transport container
  • Specimens received in Cytolyte
• Improper transport temperature
• Inappropriate specimen type
  • Bronchial washings are unacceptable.
    • Order a routine Bronchial Culture (6653/BRO) instead.
• Leaking container

Quantitative culture and gram stain

Diagnostic threshold:
BAL: ≥10⁴ col/mL
Bronchial brushing: ≥10³ col/mL

Identification, susceptibilities and serogrouping will be performed on all microbiology isolates considered by the laboratory to be significant.