CPT® Code 87045

Culture, bacterial; stool, aerobic, with isolation and preliminary examination (eg, KIA, LIA), Salmonella and Shigella species

The CPT® Code 87045 refers to a laboratory procedure known as a bacterial culture of stool, specifically focusing on the isolation and preliminary examination of Salmonella and Shigella species. In this procedure, a stool sample is collected from the patient and placed into a specialized growth medium that supports the proliferation of bacteria. The primary goal of this culture is to identify the presence of Salmonella and Shigella, which are significant pathogens associated with gastrointestinal infections. The preliminary examination may include various tests, such as KIA (Kligler Iron Agar) and LIA (Lysine Iron Agar), which help in differentiating these bacteria based on their metabolic characteristics. It is important to note that if additional bacterial species are being examined, the appropriate code to use would be CPT® Code 87046. This distinction is crucial for accurate coding and billing in laboratory services.