Physician Office Specimen Requirements

Acceptable Specimens:

Body fluid, bronchial lavage, bronchial washing, drainage, eye scrapings, hair, nail, pus, skin scrapings, sputum, stool, tissue, urine, and vaginal exudate

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

Body Fluid

Container/Tube:  Screw-capped, sterile container - Bloody specimens should be submitted in a yellow-top (SPS) tube

Specimen:  Aseptically collect as much body fluid as possible

Collection Instructions:  Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature.

Note:  Label container with patient’s full name and 1 additional unique patient identifier such as date of birth, medical record number, emergency ID number, date and time of collection, collector’s initials, and type of specimen.

Bronchial Lavage

Container/Tube:   Screw-capped, sterile container

Specimen:   5 mL to 10 mL of bronchial lavage

Collection Instructions:  Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature.

Note:  Label container with patient’s full name and 1 additional unique patient identifier such as date of birth, medical record number, emergency ID number, date and time of collection, collector’s initials, and type of specimen.

Bronchial Washing

Container/Tube:  Screw-capped, sterile container

Specimen:  5 mL to 10 mL of bronchial washing

Collection Instructions:  Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature.

Note:  Label container with patient’s full name and 1 additional unique patient identifier such as date of birth, medical record number, emergency ID number, date and time of collection, collector’s initials, and type of specimen.

Drainage

Container/Tube:  Screw-capped, sterile container

Specimen:  Aseptically collected drainage

Collection Instructions:  Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature.

Note:  Label container with patient’s full name and 1 additional unique patient identifier such as date of birth, medical record number, emergency ID number, date and time of collection, collector’s initials, and type of specimen.

Eye Scrapings

Container/Tube:  Screw-capped, sterile container or inoculated directly onto fungal media

Specimen:  Corneal scrapings obtained by an ophthalmologist

Collection Instructions:  Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature.

Note:  Label container with patient’s full name and 1 additional unique patient identifier such as date of birth, medical record number, emergency ID number, date and time of collection, collector’s initials, and type of specimen.

Hair

Container/Tube:  Screw-capped, sterile container

Specimen:  A minimum of 10 hairs

Collection Instructions:  Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature.

Note:  Label container with patient’s full name and 1 additional unique patient identifier such as date of birth, medical record number, emergency ID number, date and time of collection, collector’s initials, and type of specimen.

Nail

Container/Tube:  Screw-capped, sterile container

Specimen:  Entire nail or nail clippings

Collection Instructions:  Cleanse nail with 70% alcohol. Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature.

Note:  Label container with patient’s full name and 1 additional unique patient identifier such as date of birth, medical record number, emergency ID number, date and time of collection, collector’s initials, and type of specimen.

Pus

Container/Tube:  Screw-capped, sterile container

Specimen:  Aseptically collected pus

Collection Instructions:  Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature.

Note:  Label container with patient’s full name and 1 additional unique patient identifier such as date of birth, medical record number, emergency ID number, date and time of collection, collector’s initials, and type of specimen.

Skin Scrapings

Container/Tube:  Screw-capped, sterile container

Specimen:  Skin scrapings

Collection Instructions:  Cleanse area with 70% alcohol. Take scrapings from active edge of a lesion. Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature.

Note:  Label container with patient’s full name and 1 additional unique patient identifier such as date of birth, medical record number, emergency ID number, date and time of collection, collector’s initials, and type of specimen.

Sputum

Container/Tube:  Screw-capped, sterile container

Specimen:  5 mL to 10 mL of sputum

Collection Instructions:  1. 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.

2. Have patient remove dentures.

3. Instruct patient to take a deep breath, hold it momentarily, then cough deeply and vigorously into screw-capped, sterile container.
4. Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature.

Note:  Label container with patient’s full name and 1 additional unique patient identifier such as date of birth, medical record number, emergency ID number, date and time of collection, collector’s initials, and type of specimen.

Stool

Container/Tube:  Screw-capped, sterile container

Specimen:  Collect a small amount of feces

Collection Instructions:  Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature.

Note:  Label container with patient’s full name and 1 additional unique patient identifier such as date of birth, medical record number, emergency ID number, date and time of collection, collector’s initials, and type of specimen.

Tissue

Container/Tube:  Screw-capped, sterile container

Specimen:  Aseptically collected tissue

Collection Instructions:  Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature.

Note:  Label container with patient’s full name and 1 additional unique patient identifier such as date of birth, medical record number, emergency ID number, date and time of collection, collector’s initials, and type of specimen.

Urine

Container/Tube:  Screw-capped, sterile container

Specimen:  First-morning, clean-catch, midstream urine specimen

Collection Instructions:  Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature.

Note:  Label container with patient’s full name and 1 additional unique patient identifier such as date of birth, medical record number, emergency ID number, date and time of collection, collector’s initials, and type of specimen.

Vaginal Exudate

Container/Tube:  Screw-capped, sterile container

Specimen:  Vaginal exudate

Collection Instructions:  Collect specimen using a culture swab. Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature.

Note:  Label container with patient’s full name and 1 additional unique patient identifier such as date of birth, medical record number, emergency ID number, date and time of collection, collector’s initials, and type of specimen.