Misc Instructions

Specimen processing (i.e., N-acetyl-L-cystine-sodium hydroxide treatment or equivalent, concentration, grinding, both or neither), mycobacterial culture, and smear when appropriate (smears are not performed on blood or when there is less than 2 mL of fluid). Identification by DNA probes or sequencing will be performed at an additional charge. This culture will often detect Nocardia species and other aerobic actinomyces, and identification appropriate for these organisms will be included.