Methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA)
Culture and Susceptibility
| Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Culture and Susceptibility | | | |
| Number | | 182253 |
| CPT | | 87081 |
| Related Information | | Aerobic Bacterial Culture, General Upper Respiratory Culture, Routine Urine Culture, Routine |
| Synonyms | | MRSA Culture/Susceptibility |
| Test Includes | | Culture; isolation, identification (additional charges/CPT code[s] may apply), and susceptibility testing if culture results warrant (additional charges/CPT code[s] may apply). Only methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is detected; other organisms are not detected. CPT coding for microbiology and virology procedures often cannot be determined before the culture is performed. |
| Specimen | | Swab specimen of nares, axilla, torso, groin in bacterial transport |
| Volume | | One swab from each site |
| Container | | Bacterial culture transport swab with gel |
| Storage Instructions | | Maintain specimen at room temperature. |
| Causes for Rejection | | Specimen received without proper identification; inappropriate specimen transport device; unlabeled specimen or name discrepancy between specimen and request label; specimen received after prolonged delay (usually more than 72 hours) |
| Use | | Detect colonization of patients and staff in nursing homes and hospitals with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus during an outbreak of nosocomial infection |
| Limitations | | This test should not be used to establish the diagnosis in case of infection. |
| Methodology | | Culture and susceptibility |
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