Specimen Type:
Ear, eye, skin, cath tip, body fluid, dialysate, tissue, abscess aspirates collected in a syringe(remove needle), biopsy tissues
Tube Type:
Eswab, sterile container, sterile syringe, sterile cup for tissues
Collection Volume:
1 swab or 0.5 mL fluid or 1 gram tissue
Cause for Rejection:
Specimen collected in nonsterile container. No swab sent in Eswab transport tube.
Storage:
Ambient within 2 hours or refrigerated (on Eswab)
Special Instructions:
Requisition or audit trail must specify site (e.g. right eye) of specimen along with important information regarding patient diagnosis (e.g. animal bite). If physician's orders state that the laboratory culture is for a specific organism, include this information on the requisition or audit trail. Deliver to laboratory immediately. Transport Eswab preferably within 2 hours. If transport is delayed, then specimens should be refrigerated at 2-8C or stored at room temperature (20-25C) and processed within 48 hours except for Neisseria gonorrhoeae which should be processed within 24 hours.
