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87086 Urine culture/colony count

Pathology & Lab

Also known as: Urine culture quantitative, Urine colony count, Urine C&S

Quantitative urine bacterial culture with colony count. Diagnostic of urinary tract infection.

In Plain Language

Urine bacterial count test

Clinical Context

Standard quantitative urine culture. Colony count >100,000 per milliliter typically indicates infection; lower counts may indicate contamination or early infection.

RVU Information

CPT 87086 does not have a physician work RVU assigned by CMS. Reimbursement for this code is determined by payer-specific fee schedules.

Billing & Documentation

Lab and pathology codes require an order from the treating provider with clinical indication. For molecular pathology and genetic testing, document the specific analytes tested and clinical rationale.

How This Code Compares

This code has a work RVU of 0.00, meaning it does not have a physician work component assigned by CMS. In the Pathology & Lab category, 94% of codes share this characteristic.

Specialties

MicrobiologyUrologyPathology

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CPT code 87086?

CPT 87086 (Urine culture/colony count) is a Pathology & Lab code. Quantitative urine bacterial culture with colony count. Diagnostic of urinary tract infection.

Who uses CPT code 87086?

CPT 87086 is used by Microbiology, Urology, Pathology. Standard quantitative urine culture. Colony count >100,000 per milliliter typically indicates infection; lower counts may indicate contamination or early infection.

When is CPT 87086 used?

Standard quantitative urine culture. Colony count >100,000 per milliliter typically indicates infection; lower counts may indicate contamination or early infection.

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CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. Data sourced from CMS Physician Fee Schedule RVU26A. Descriptions, synonyms, and clinical context are original content by RVU Edge.