| Ordering Code | 615 |
|---|---|
| Test Name | Gram Stain |
| Preferred Specimen | Aspirate, Tissue or body fluid |
| Preferred Container | Sterile container Note: Gram stains are routinely performed on Lower Respiratory Specimens (93) and CSF specimens (620) |
| Other Specimen/Container | Swab of any body site in bacterial transport container (e.g. Culturette), Air Dried slides |
| Optimum Volume | Body Fluids: 5 mL Gram stain is performed on centrifuged sediment. If less than 2 mL of specimen is received, a direct gram stain is done Tissue: 1 gm Any Body Site Swab: 2 Swabs Aspirates: 3 mL Slides: 2 Slides |
| Collection Instructions | Indicate specimen source and if a culture is desired, on the requisition Slides: If a culture is desired, send a separate specimen for culture in the appropriate sterile container/transport vial. |
| Handling Instructions | Body Fluids: If >50 mL is collected, send a 10 mL aliquot of the well- mixed specimen Tissue: Add sterile normal saline to prevent drying of specimen Aspirates: If collecting in a syringe, remove needle and cap syringe securely Slides: Allow slides to air dry before placing them in slide holders for transport. DO NOT refrigerate slides. |
| Transport Requirements | Body Fluids, Tissue & Aspirates: Oahu: Refrigerated Airline: Refrigerated Any Body Site Swab & Slides Oahu: Ambient Airline: Ambient |
| Specimen Stability | Body Fluids, Tissue & Aspirates: Ambient: 2 Hours Refrigerated: 24 Hours Frozen: Not Stable Any Body Site Swab: Ambient: 2 Days Refrigerated: 2 Days Slides: Ambient: 2 Days |
| Rejection Criteria | Dry cotton swab, Frozen, Specimen older than stability limits, Catheter tips sent for gram stain, Stool, Specimen formalin, Swabs in charcoal transport, Syringe with needle attached, Urine specimens are not acceptable; contact Technical Director if requested Note: Specimens with rejection concerns that cannot be recollected (e.g. surgical tissue) will be processed upon receipt and the ordering physician consulted. |
| Avail. Stat | YES |
| Analytic Time | 1 Day STAT results are available within 1 hour of receipt in the testing department. |
| Methodology | Microscopic examination of smear for bacteria and differentiation using a gram stain. |
Reference range(s)
The reference ranges listed below are valid on this date of June 29, 2025.
| Component | Age | Male Norm | Male Critical Low | Male Critical High | Female Norm | Female Critical High | Female Critical Low | Units | Add'l info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source | ALL | See report. | |||||||
| Gram Stain Result | ALL | See report. |