Supplies for Submission
Culture Swab with Amies media (1) or Sterile Container with saline (1)
Specimen Collection
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here to view general guidelines for culture specimens.
- Disinfect adjacent areas of skin or tissue that contain resident normal flora, prior to collection.
- Aseptically collect material, including material from both the center and the edge of the lesion. Tissue specimen must be kept moist. DO NOT allow the tissue to dry out.
- Place the tissue specimen in a sterile container with sterile gauze moistened with sterile nonbacteriostatic saline, or in a culture transport device containing transport medium acceptable for cultivation of bacteria. DO NOT place the tissue in formalin.
- Transport to the lab at room temperature as soon as possible.
Tissue collection is an invasive procedure and requires collection by trained personnel.
Storage Requirements
Room Temperature.
Swab specimens are stable if stored at room temperature for under 72 hours.
However, tissue or body fluid in sterile containers (not swab) are stable for 24 hours.