Specimen Requirements

1. Cleanse ear canal with a mild detergent prior to specimen collection.

2. Aseptically collect specimen from active margin, where suspected organism will most likely be found (including secretions from deeper areas) using Mini-tip CULTURETTE^TM or BBL^TM CultureSwab^TM Plus supplied from Nursing Unit Pyxis or Laboratory for Outreach Offices. (Specimen submitted in non-sterile container or specimen delayed >4 hours [unless collected on BBL^TM CultureSwab^TM Plus] is not acceptable.)

3. Return swab to sterile culture transport tube to ensure specimen preservation.

4. Label specimen with patient’s name (first and last), date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.

5. Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature only.

Note:  1. If fastidious bacteria such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Streptococcus pneumoniae is suspected, specimen should arrive within ≤24 hours of collection.

2. Collect before start of antibiotic therapy whenever possible.

3. Specimen source is required on request form for processing.