Physician Office Specimen Requirements

Acceptable Specimens:

Abscess, aspirate, burn, drainage, exudate, lesion, pus, skin, transudate, ulcer, or wound

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

Aspirate

Container/Tube:  Screw-capped, sterile container

Specimen:  Obtain aspirate specimen from advancing margin of lesion.

Collection Instructions:  Cleanse area around lesion with a disinfectant to remove superficial skin flora. Remove exudate and firmly sample from advancing margin of lesion. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.

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.

Fluid

Container/Tube:  Screw-capped, sterile container

Specimen:  Fluid

Collection Instructions:  Maintain sterility and forward promptly.

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/Tissue Scrapings

Tissue or tissue scrapings are better specimens than swabs.

Container/Tube:  Screw-capped, sterile container

Specimen:  Tissue/tissue scrapings

Collection Instructions:  Cleanse area around lesion with a disinfectant to remove superficial skin flora. Remove exudate and firmly sample from advancing margin of lesion. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.

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.