Specimen Requirements

Specimen source is required.

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

Specimen Type: Abscesses, aspirates, or pus

Container/Tube: Sterile container

Specimen Volume: Entire collection

Collection Instructions: Label container with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

Specimen Type: Bone or bone marrow

Container/Tube: Sterile container

Specimen Volume: Entire collection of bone or 1 mL of bone marrow

Collection Instructions:

1. Cleanse skin with povidone iodine.
2. Collect bone marrow by sterile percutaneous aspiration in heparinized syringe.
3. Transfer specimen to sterile container.

4. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

Specimen Type: Cervical or vaginal

Container/Tube: Sterile culture swab in sterile culture transport tube

Specimen Volume: Swab

Collection Instructions: 

1. Collect specimen from infected site.
2. Return swab to sterile culture transport tube.

3. Label tube with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

Additional Information: Procedure is performed primarily for identification of Candida species.

Specimen Type: Gastric washings

Container/Tube: Sterile containers

Specimen Volume: A series of 3 washings in separate containers

Collection Instructions: Label containers with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

Specimen Type: Spinal fluid

Container/Tube: Sterile vial

Specimen Volume: 1-2 mL

Collection Instructions:

1. Vials should be numbered in sequence with #1 representing the first portion of specimen obtained. Second vial collected during lumbar puncture is most suitable for culture, as skin contaminants from puncture usually wash out with fluid collected in first vial.

2. Label vials with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, date and time of collection, and order in which vials were collected.

Specimen Type: Sputum, first-morning, “deep-cough”

Container/Tube: Sterile container

Specimen Volume: 5-10 mL

Collection Instructions:

1. Have patient remove dentures, if applicable.

2. Instruct patient to brush his/her teeth and/or rinse mouth well with water to minimize contaminating specimen with food particles, mouthwash, or oral drugs which may inhibit growth of mycobacteria.

3. Instruct patient to take a deep breath, hold it momentarily, then cough deeply and vigorously into container. Do not add alcohol or preservatives.

4. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

5. Nasal secretions, saliva, or 24-hour collection is not acceptable.

Additional Information: Cough induction by inhalation of a saline aerosol is also acceptable.

Specimen Type: Stool; fresh, random

Container/Tube: Stool container free of contamination with urine, residual soap, or disinfectants

Specimen Volume: 1 g

Collection Instructions: Label container with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

Specimen Type: Tissue

Container/Tube: Sterile container

Specimen Volume: Entire collection

Collection Instructions: Label container with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

Specimen Type: Urine-catheterized, first-morning collection

Container/Tube: Sterile urine container

Specimen Volume: 5 mL collected on 3 consecutive days

Collection Instructions:

1. Avoid sending urine that has remained stagnant in catheter tubing for any length of time; do not send catheter bag urine; and avoid sending urine from catheters that have been in place longer than 5 to 9 days.
2. Clean catheter with an alcohol sponge, puncture with sterile needle, and collect in sterile syringe.
3. Pour urine into sterile container. Mix well.

4. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.

Specimen Type: Urine; clean-catch, midstream

Container/Tube: Sterile urine container

Specimen Volume: 5 mL collected on 3 consecutive days

Collection Instructions:

1. Patient should cleanse with moist towelettes, and then begin to urinate into toilet.

Note: Follow instructions in Urine Collection in Special Instructions.

2. After first few teaspoons, place sterile container under stream of urine and collect rest of urine in container. Even 1/4 cup is an adequate specimen for test.

3. After finishing, tighten cap on container securely and wash any spilled urine from outside of container.

2. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), medical record number or date of birth, specimen source, and date and time of collection.