Specimen Requirements

Specimen must arrive within 15 minutes of collection.

1. Submit as much tissue as possible in a screw-capped, sterile container.

2. Never submit a swab that has been simply rubbed over the surface.

3. For small samples, add several drops of sterile saline to keep specimen moist.

4. Label container 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:  Specimen source is required on request form for processing.