Specimen Requirements

Specimen must arrive within 15 minutes of collection.

Acceptable Specimens:

Abdominal, amniotic, ascites, bile,dialysate,  joint, paracentesis, pericardial, peritoneal, pleural, synovial, or thoracentesis fluid.

Unacceptable Specimens:

Swab dipped in fluid

1. Disinfect overlying skin with iodine or ChloraPrep® preparation.

2. Obtain specimen via needle, percutaneous needle aspiration, or surgery.

3. Always submit as much fluid as possible, >1 mL is recommended.

4. Place specimen in a screw-capped, sterile vial or evacuated bottle.

5. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.
6. Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature only.
Note:  Specimen source is required on request form for processing.