Specimen Requirements

Container Type: Aerobic culturette
Specimen Type: Nasal swab with aerobic culturette
Collection Procedure: Insert swab into the nares. Rotate swab in each nares two to five times clockwise and counter clockwise, about three-fourths of an inch into the nasal passage (adult) so that squamous epithelial cells from the inside of the nose are obtained.
Specimen Processing: Immediately place swab in transport tube.
Store and Transport Ambient (room temperature) or refrigerated
Required Patient Info: Specimen source
Stability: Room Temp 2 days Refrigerated 5 days Frozen (-20 øC) Unacceptable Frozen (-70 øC) Unacceptable
Unacceptable Condition: Samples that have been frozen or exposed to excessive heat. Only nares specimens are acceptable for the PCR assay. Swabs with wire shafts and transport media with charcoal have not been validated for use with this assay.