Neisseria meningitidis (Latex), Spinal Fluid

CPT CODE:

USEFUL FOR:

Rapid screening for bacterial meningitis

SPECIMEN REQUIRED:

1 mL of spinal fluid. Send specimen frozen in a screw-capped,sterile plastic vial. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.Note:    Back-up culture will not be performed.

TRANSPORT TEMPERATURE:

Frozen\Refrig <24 hours OK\Ambient NO

CLINICAL INFORMATION:

Meningitis has a wide variety of potential causes, either infectiousor noninfectious. If bacterial meningitis is not treated promptly and effectively, the disease is likely to be fatal. Many bacterial species have been implicated in meningitis. Streptococcus group B andEscherichia coli K1 are two of the most common causes of neonatal sepsis. In older age groups the most common isolates are Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Neisseria meningitidis groups A, B, C, Y and W135.

CLINICAL INTERPRETATION:

A positive or negative result is not diagnostic for the presence orabsence of disease. This assay should not be substituted for microbiological culture. A positive result indicates the presence of Neisseria meningitidis antigen, but the result does not necessarily indicate the presence of viable organisms. False-negative test results may occur with specimens containinglevels of antigen below the limits of detection of this assay. Negativeresults should be followed up with culture.  

REFERENCE VALUES:

Negative