Throat Culture, Routine
Test Mnemonic
THRCUL
CPT Codes
- 87070 - QTY (1)
LOINC ®
626-2
Aliases
- Culture, Throat
Performing Laboratory
Cleveland Clinic Laboratories
Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E Swab | Ambient | Ambient |
Stability
| Environmental Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Ambient | 72 hours |
| Refrigerated | 72 hours |
| Frozen | Unacceptable |
Days Performed
Sun - Sat
Turnaround Time
4 days
Methodology
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Culture |
Reference Range
| Throat Culture, Routine | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| No Group A Beta-hemolytic Streptococcus isolated |
Special Info
Use swab to sample inflamed areas and exudate from the posterior pharynx. Place swab in transport medium. Routine throat cultures will be processed only for growth of Beta-hemolytic Streptococcus species. If culture is positive, identification will be performed on clinically significant organisms at an additional charge. Identification CPT code that may apply is 87077. Antimicrobial susceptibilities are performed when requested, and the following CPT codes may apply: 87181, 87184, 87186.
Clinical Info
Guidelines for the diagnosis of Group A streptococcal pharyngitis are available from IDSA (Clin Infect Dis 2012; 55:e86-102).