Specimen Requirements

Acceptable Specimens:

Abscess, aspirate, or wound: ≥1 mL in a leakproof screw-capped, sterile container or, if unable to obtain fluid, 1 ESwab per test request in sterile collection tube.

Lymph node: ≥1 g in a leakproof screw-capped, sterile container.

Bone or Tissue: ≥1 g in a leakproof screw-capped, sterile container.

Sterile Fluids (amniotic, ocular, pericardial, synovial, etc.):  ≥1 mL in a leakproof screw-capped, sterile container.  Note: Pleural fluid: as much as possible.

CSF: >5 mL in a leakproof screw-capped, sterile container.

Urine: ≥40 mL in a leakproof screw-capped, sterile container.

Unacceptable Specimens:

Stool

Specimen collected with ESwab Collection Kit is unacceptable if received without fluid or swab in the transport tube.

Collection Procedure:

Note: Specimen source is required.

Abscess, Aspirate, or Wound

1. Disinfect surface of abscess or wound.

2. Aseptically collect purulent material by aspiration (≥1 mL) or by using an ESwab. Frequently, viable organisms are only associated with abscess wall, so adequately sample this area. If material is aspirated, aseptically inject specimen into a leakproof screw-capped, sterile container or a plain, red-top tube.

3. If ESwab is used, return ESwab into transport tube following instructions on kit.
4. Maintain sterility and tranport promptly to laboratory.

5. If transport is delayed, keep specimen at room temperature.
 

Lymph Node 

1. Aseptically collect ≥1 g of specimen.
2. Place specimen in a leakproof screw-capped, sterile container.
3. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.

Bone

1. Aseptically collect ≥1 g of specimen.
2. Place specimen in a leakproof screw-capped, sterile container.
3. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.

Tissue

1. Aseptically collect ≥1 g of tissue from border of lesion. Because there may be only a few viable organisms in a lesion, the specimen must be large enough to permit their recovery.

2. Place specimen in a leakproof screw-capped, sterile container.

3. Maintain sterility and transport promptly to laboratory.

4. If transport is delayed, keep specimen at room temperature.
 

CSF

1. Aseptically collect >5 mL of fluid.

2. Place specimen in a leakproof screw-capped, sterile container.

3. Maintain sterility and transport promptly to laboratory.

4. If transport is delayed, keep specimen at room temperature.

Sterile Fluid (Amniotic, Ocular, Pericardial, Synovial, etc.)
1. Aseptically collect ≥1 mL of fluid.
2. Place specimen in a leakproof screw-capped, sterile container.
3. Maintain sterility and transport promptly to laboratory.

4. If transport is delayed, keep specimen at room temperature.

Urine
1. Aseptically collect ≥40 mL of a first-morning urine specimen.

2. Place specimen in a leakproof screw-capped, sterile container. (24-hour specimen is not acceptable.)

3. Send specimen refrigerated. Maintain sterility and transport promptly to laboratory.