Supplies for Submission
A plastic tube containing a sterile swab and transport medium acceptable for the cultivation of aerobic bacteria e.g., swab/tube system containing Amies transport media.
Specimen Collection
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here to view general guidelines for culture specimens.
- Depress tongue gently with a tongue depressor.
- Extend a sterile swab between the tonsillar pillars and behind the uvula. Avoid touching the cheeks, tongue, uvula, or lips.
- To obtain sample, sweep the swab back and forth across the posterior pharynx, tonsillar areas, and in particular, any inflamed or ulcerated areas.
DO NOT obtain throat sample if epiglottis is inflamed, as sampling may cause serious respiratory obstruction.
Storage Requirements
Room Temperature.
Specimens are stable if stored at room temperature for 48 hours.
Causes for Rejections
Specimens with the following conditions are not accepted:
- samples arriving at the referral lab more than 2 days after collection
- swabs not submitted in transport media
- swabs submitted in expired transport media, viral transport media, or formalin fixative
- submitted in leaky container, non-sterile container, or tissue paper
- dry swabs
- frozen samples