Specimen Requirements

1. Collect specimen using Eswab or other culture transport swab containing either Amies or Stuart liquid transport medium. A nasopharyngeal or mini-tip culture transport swab may be used in some circumstances.

• For conjunctival specimens, wipe purulent material away.  Using a culture swab, collect secretions from surface or lower cul-de-sac and inner canthus of infected eye.
• Special procedures are required to collect small quantities of material from various ocular sites.  In most cases the specimen is collected by ophthalmologist and usually plated to various culture media at collection site. Ophthalmologist or his office staff will alert the Microbiology Laboratory which media is needed, when it will be picked up, and any other special information needed for processing.

1. Label container or culture media with patient’s name (first and last), date and time of collection, and type of specimen.  Specimen source is required on request form for processing.
2. Swab specimens and culture plates should be transported to the laboratory promptly.

Specimen Stability Information:  Ambient (preferred) or refrigerated up to 48 hours.