Turnaround Times

Urgent requests during normal working day must be requested by telephone to the laboratory.

	Bacteriology	Turn around times	Comments
	Blood Culture	24 hours - 7 days	Negative report issued at 48 hours: new positive results are telephoned
	MRSA Screen	48 - 72 hours	Negative at 24 hours: new positive results are telephoned
	Urines	<1day - 48 hours
	Wound swabs/Pus/Fluids	24-72 hours	Slow growing or fastidious organisms may require prolonged incubation beyond 72 hours.
	Respiratory Specimens	48-72 hours	Slow growing or fastidious organisms may require prolonged incubation beyond 72 hours.
	Genital Specimens	48-72 hours	GBS in pregnancy and N. Gonorrhoeae positive cultures are telephoned
	CSF	48 hours	All CSF microscopy results are telephoned as they are done.
	Enteric
	Faeces culture	48 hours
	Clostridium difficile toxin detection	24 - 48 hours	new positive results are telephoned (Adeno/Rotavirus to neonatal units only)
	Ova/Cysts/Parasites	48 hours
	Sellotape slide	24 hours
	Mycobacteria
	TB examination (microscopy)	48 -72 hours	new positive results are telephoned
	Mycobacteria culture and sensitivity	Negative report after 6 weeks: cultures incubated for a further 4 weeks - no further report if negative.	Positive mycobacteria - interim report at initial isolation. Reference laboratory report when received.
	Mycology
	Mycology microscopy	24 - 48 hours
	Mycology culture	Up to 5 weeks

All urgent results are telephoned.