Specimen Requirements

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

Acceptable Specimens:

Abscess, hair, lesion (exudate or pus), nails, sinus tract, skin, spinal fluid, sputum, tissue, or vaginal

Abscess, Lesion, or Sinus Tract

Specimen must arrive within 1 hour of collection.

1. Prepare site, wash well with antiseptic soap, and rinse with sterile saline.
2. Aseptically aspirate specimen using a needle and syringe.
3. Transfer specimen to a screw-capped, sterile container.
4. If submitting specimen in syringe, remove needle and cap syringe.
5. Label container/syringe with patient’s name (first and last), date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.
6. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
Note:  Specimen source and suspected disease are required on request form for processing.

Hair

Specimen must arrive within 8 hours of collection.

1. Clean affected area with 70% isopropanol. Let dry.

2. Clip or pluck at least 10 to 12 hairs and place in a screw-capped, sterile container.
3. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.

4. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
Note:  Specimen source and suspected disease are required on request form for processing.

Nails

Specimen must arrive within 8 hours of collection.

1. Wipe nail with 70% isopropanol. Let dry.
2. Scrape outer surface of nail and discard.
3. Collect scraping from deeper, diseased areas of nail, and place in a screw-capped, sterile container.
4. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.
5. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
Note:  Specimen source and suspected disease are required on request form for processing.

Skin

Specimen must arrive within 8 hours of collection.

1. Clean skin with 70% isopropanol. Let dry.
2. Scrape advancing edge of lesion onto a sterile glass slide

3. Place another glass slide on top and tape the edges

4. Place the taped slides in a petri dish and tape the edges
3. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.
4. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
Note:  Specimen source and suspected disease are required on request form for processing.

Note: Scrapings collected in a sterile container will not be rejected but the above process is preferred.

Spinal Fluid
Specimen must arrive within 30 minutes of collection.
 

1. Submit a minimum of 2 mL of spinal fluid in a screw-capped, sterile vial as follows:

A. Physician should collect spinal fluid aseptically by lumbar puncture.
B. Divide specimen into 3 or 4 screw-capped, sterile vials (each containing 1-2 mL of spinal fluid).
C. Label vials sequentially. Tube #2 is generally used for microbiology testing.

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

3. Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature only. Do not refrigerate.

Note:  1. Do not leave specimen unattended. Hand deliver to laboratory technician.

2. Specimen source and suspected disease are required on request form for processing.

Sputum

Specimen must arrive within 8 hours of collection.

1. Collect a first-morning, “deep-cough” sputum specimen in a screw-capped, sterile container. (Nasal secretion, saliva, or 24-hour collection is not acceptable.)
2. Cough induction by inhalation of a saline aerosol is acceptable.
3. Instruct patient to brush his/her teeth and/or rinse mouth well with water to minimize contaminating specimen with food particles, mouthwash, or oral drugs.
4. Have patient remove dentures.
5. Instruct patient to take a deep breath, hold it momentarily, then cough deeply and vigorously into container, and collect 5 mL to 10 mL of discharged material.
6. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.
7. Refrigerate specimen after collection, and send specimen refrigerated. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
Note:  Specimen source and suspected disease are required on request form for processing.

Tissue

Specimen must arrive within 1 hour of collection.

1. Submit tissue in a screw-capped, sterile container.
2. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.
3. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
Note:  Specimen source and suspected disease are required on request form for processing.

Vaginal

Preferred specimen is Dacron swab in 1 mL sterile saline (2 hour stability), or Culturette Transport Media within 8 hours. 

1. Collect exudate using a Dacron® swab. (Calcium alginate swab or swab with wooden shaft is not acceptable.)
2. Make a heavy inoculum in tube with 1 mL of sterile saline (preferred) or return swab to transport tube.
3. Break off stem, and replace cap on transport tube.
4. Label tube with patient’s name (first and last), date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.
5. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
Note:  1. Do not leave specimen unattended. Hand deliver to laboratory technician.
2. Specimen source and suspected disease are required on request form for processing.