Specimen Requirements

Specimen must arrive within 4 days of collection.

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

ThinPrep Pap Vial
 

1. Physician may recover specimen from different areas, such as posterior fornix, ectocervix, and endocervix using cervical broom.

2. Do not use lubricant on speculum.
3. Visualize cervix with a speculum.
4. Obtain an adequate sampling from endocervix using an endocervical broom device. Insert broom into cervix until only bottom-most fibers are exposed. Slowly rotate one quarter or one half turn in 1 direction. Do not over-rotate. Additional rotation may cause bleeding and contaminate specimen.

5. Rinse broom in ThinPrep® Pap Test PreservCyt® Solution vial by rotating device in solution 10 times while pushing against PreservCyt® vial wall. Swirl broom VIGOROUSLY to further release material. Discard broom.

6. Tighten cap so torque line on cap passes torque line on vial.

7. Label vial with patient’s name (first and last), date of birth, date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.

8. Forward promptly at ambient temperature.

1. Note:  Specimen source is required on request form for processing.

Vaginal Swab

1.  Use the APTIMA vaginal collection swab (Orange).
2. Carefully insert the swab into the vagina about 2 inches past the introitus and gently rotate the swab for 10-20 seconds making sure the swab touches the walls of the vagina so moisture is absorbed by the swan.
3. Withdraw swab without touching the skin.
4. Remove cap from transport media and place swab into transport tube.  Break swab at score line and replace cap.
5. Label tube with patient’s name (first and last), date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.

6. Send specimen at room temperature.  Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
Note:  Specimen source is required on request form for processing.

Urine (Male or female)
1. Patient should not have urinated within 1 hour prior to specimen collection.
2. Collect first voided urine in a plastic, sterile, preservative-free container. (Midstream collection is not acceptable.) The ideal volume is 20 mL to 30mL.

3.  Transfer 2 ml of urine into Yellow APTIMA transport tube using the disposable pipette.  The fluid level should be between the black fill lines on the tube.

4. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.

5. Send specimen at room temperature or refrigerated. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
Note:  Specimen source is required on request form for processing.