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Recommendations when to order or not order the test. May include related or preferred tests.
Detect Nocardia and other aerobic actinomycetes.
New York DOH Approval Status
Indicates whether a test has been approved by the New York State Department of Health.
This test is New York state approved.
Specimen Required
Patient PreparationInstructions patient must follow before/during specimen collection.
CollectSpecimen type to collect. May include collection media, tubes, kits, etc.
Aspirate, fluid, respiratory specimen, or tissue.
Specimen PreparationInstructions for specimen prep before/after collection and prior to transport.
Fluid: Transfer to a sterile container. Tissue: Place on gauze moistened with sterile non-bacteriostatic saline to prevent drying and transport in sterile container.
Storage/Transport TemperaturePreferred temperatures for storage prior to and during shipping to ARUP. See Stability for additional info.
Room temperature.
Unacceptable ConditionsCommon conditions under which a specimen will be rejected.
RemarksAdditional specimen collection, transport, or test submission information.
Identification is by DNA sequencing for most isolates.
StabilityAcceptable times/temperatures for specimens. Times include storage and transport time to ARUP.
Expected turnaround time for a result, beginning when ARUP has received the specimen.
1-15 days Negative culture reported at 15 days. Positive culture reported as soon as detected.
Reference Interval
Normal range/expected value(s) for a specific disease state. May also include abnormal ranges.
Culture negative for Nocardia species.
Interpretive Data
May include disease information, patient result explanation, recommendations, or details of testing.
Compliance Category
Standard
Note
Additional information related to the test.
If positive, identification is billed separately. For susceptibility testing, order Antimicrobial Susceptibility - Nocardia (0060193). Susceptibility testing should be performed on all significant Nocardia isolates. Culture also detects other actinomycetes (Streptomyces, Rhodococcus, Gordona, Tsukamurella, etc.). To submit a Nocardia isolate for identification, order Aerobic Organism Identification (ARUP test code 0060115). To submit a Nocardia isolate for identification AND susceptibility, order Aerobic Organism Identification with Reflex to Susceptibility (ARUP test code 0065070).
Hotline History
N/A
CPT Codes
The American Medical Association Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes published in ARUP's Laboratory Test Directory are provided for informational purposes only. The codes reflect our interpretation of CPT coding requirements based upon AMA guidelines published annually. CPT codes are provided only as guidance to assist clients with billing. ARUP strongly recommends that clients confirm CPT codes with their Medicare administrative contractor, as requirements may differ. CPT coding is the sole responsibility of the billing party. ARUP Laboratories assumes no responsibility for billing errors due to reliance on the CPT codes published.
* Component test codes cannot be used to order tests. The information provided here is not sufficient for interface builds; for a complete test mix, please click the sidebar link to access the Interface Map.
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