Supplies for Submission
- Culture swab (1)
- Transport media
Specimen Collection
Preferred: Needle aspirate of sinus cavity syringe with needle removed.
Alternate: Dual culture swab with transport media.
Storage Requirements
Room Temperature.
Culturette: Specimens are stable if stored at room temperature for 1 day. See Limitations below.
Tissue or Body Fluid: Room temperature for 1 day.
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 or non-sterile container
- dry swabs
- insufficient sample quantity
- frozen samples or contaminated samples