Detailed Swab and Collection Charts
Source Chart
Download the pdf version of the source chart, which determines what type of culture to order and what type of swab to use for a given specimen type.
Swab Chart
Meadville Medical Center Laboratory has the following types of specimen collection swabs. Please refer to the following chart for preferred specimen collection types.
| Preferred Swab | Source | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| White /Teal Cap (plain) Stuart’s media | Abscess or sterile body fluid | Fluid is preferred in sterile screw-cap container. |
| Eye, ear, nasal | Mini-tip or gel also acceptable | |
| MRSA for PCR | Plain/teal cap only- moisten tip with sterile saline prior to collection. | |
| Throat screen for strep | Gel swab unacceptable for rapid strep screen; culture only may be performed. | |
| Wounds | Aerobic culture of superficial specimen | |
| Eye, ear, nasal | Mini-tip acceptable | |
| Magenta Cap Gel media suitable for preservation of both anaerobic and aerobic bacteria | Fluid | Some culture sites are unacceptable for anaerobic culture and may be rejected |
| Wound | Anaerobic culture of deep specimens | |
| Infant eye, ear or nasal | ||
| Orange Cap (mini-tip) Gel media suitable for preservation of both anaerobic and aerobic bacteria | Urethra | For culture |
Special Collection
The list below contains the specialized swabs (or collection kits) needed for the particular test ordered:
| Culture | Swab/Kit Needed |
|---|---|
| Acid Fast Bacillus (AFB), Tuberculosis (TB) | AFB sputum collection container |
| Chlamydia Culture | UTM transport media - Recommendedfor abuse or rape cases. |
| Chlamydia and/or Gonorrhoeae (RNA detection) | Gen-Probe APTIMA® kits male female urine collection Not recommended for abuse or rape cases. |
| Neisseria gonorrhoeae culture | Amies gel transport medium swab delivered within 24 hours of collection. |
| Papillomavirus | ThinPrep vial or Aptima collection tube |
| Pinworm | Swube® kit or CLEAR scotch tape attached to clear slide. (Frosted tape unacceptable) |
| Stool | Stool collection kit |
| Viral Culture | UTM transport media |
Collection Information
This chart contains more detailed information and is an aid in assisting proper entry of specimens into the Meditech system:
| Procedure | Acceptable Specimens | Unacceptable Specimens | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFB Culture/stain | Most specimens | Stool | Same as “TB” or culture for mycobacterium Sent to reference lab |
| Anaerobic Culture | Abscess Bone Bank Biopsy Bone marrow Bronchial Cervix Dental Deep wound Lung Percutaneous trans. trach. Sterile body fluid Sinus Tissue Urine (needle aspirate from bladder) | Feces Mouth Sputum Superficial skin site Throat Urine (other than needle aspirate) Vagina | Gel-type swab is preferred. |
| Blood Culture | Adults - 7.0 mL Infants - minimum 0.5 mL | 2 sets (set = 2 yellow-top SPS tubes) drawn same time from different sites are acceptable for most cases of suspected sepsis. | |
| Bone Marrow | Contact ACL prior to specimen collection. | ||
| Catheter tip culture | Catheter tips only | Foley cath tip Exit sites - See “Wound Cultures” | Send tips, 1 inch long or less, in sterile container |
| Chlamydia Culture | Cervix Eye Urethra Other sources not approved for Gen-Probe; see “culture” | Fluid Rectum Nasal Urine Vagina (Cotton-tipped wooden shafted collection swabs) | Use Gen-Probe Aptima® collection kits (male, female and urine). Other collection kits not acceptable. Not suitable for sexual assault or rape (order culture). |
| Clostridium Difficile Antigen and Toxin | Stool – (2 mL. liquid stool minimum) | -Swabs -Stool in preservative | |
| Cryptococcal Antigen | Spinal fluid - 1.0 mL Serum - 1.0 mL | Sent to reference lab | |
| Cryptosporidium Antigen | -10 gm stool in TF transport medium | Unpreserved or unrefrigerated specimen >24 hours old | |
| Culture for Group B Strep Only | Vaginal rectal Plain or gel swab | Cervical not recommended | For detection of Group B strep in pregnant women |
| Cyclospora cayetanesis | 10 gm stool in SAF vial | -Stool not in SAF within 12 hrs -Stool in PVA fixative or culture medium | Sent to ACL |
| Ear, Eye or Nasal Culture | Ear Eye Nasal -Gel or plain swab -Inner ear tissue in sterile container | Specimens > 24 hours old | For sinus specimens - Refer to Respiratory Culture |
| Fluid Culture | Any normally sterile body fluid (synovial) or drainage from surgical areas collected in: -Sterile screw-capped cup -Green-top tube -Syringe with needle removed | Fluids poured into culturette tubes | Specify unusual sites in comments. Fluid itself is preferred over swabs. CSF – Refer to CSF Culture Blood – Refer to Blood Culture Urine – Refer to Urine Culture |
| Fungal Culture | Most sites Skin scrapings Nails Hair | Feces Dried material on slides 24 hour urine | -Preliminary report at 2 wks, or sooner if growth occurs -Final report at 4 wks |
| Genital Culture | Cervix Eye Groin Penis Scrotum Urethra Uterus Vagina | Non-urogenital sources | For unusual sites; such as endometrium, placenta, etc., specify under comments for source “uterus”. |
| Giardia Antigen | -10 gm stool in SAF transport medium -fresh unpreserved stool | -Unpreserved specimen >24 hours old -Unrefrigerated bulk stool >24 hrs | |
| Gram Stain | Most specimens collected on plain swabs | Gel swab (impairs stain quality) | |
| Helicobacter Pylori Screen | 0.5 mL serum | Plasma | Sent to ACL |
| Herpes Culture | Collect using viral kit Dermal sites Lesions Urogenital sources | Sent to ACL Plain swab is also acceptable if received within 2 hrs of collection. |
|
| Identification, Microscopic | Specimens in leak-proof container | Non-secure container | Ticks – see Pathology |
| India ink prep | Spinal fluid | Test performed by Micro tech only M-F from 6 AM - 4 PM S-S from 6 AM-2:30 PM |
|
| Influenza antigen Types A or B | Nasal wash (preferred) Throat NP aspirate or swab | Frozen specimen | |
| KOH Prep | Cervix Finger or toenails Skin scrapings Vagina Hair | Test performed by Micro tech only M-F from 6 AM - 4 PM S-S from 6 AM-2:30 PM |
|
| Legionella Culture | Biopsy specimen Bronchial secretions | Swab specimen not from lower respiratory tract | Sent to ACL |
| Legionella Smear/Tissue | Biopsy specimen Bronchial secretions Specimen on glass slide | Swab specimen not from lower respiratory tract | Sent to ACL Refrigerate |
| Lyme disease | Serum CSF Synovial fluid | Sent to ACL | |
| Malaria | Blood | ||
| Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Culture | Body fluids Eye Urogenital sources Rectal Throat | Feces Urine (Cotton-tipped wooden shafted swabs) | Do not refrigerate - swabs not plated on Jembec® must be received in lab within 2 hours of collection. |
| N. Gonorrhoeae RNA Probe | Use Gen-Probe APTIMA® collection kit. Cervix Urethra | Other collection kits are not acceptable. -All other sources not acceptable | Not suitable for sexual assault or rape (order culture). |
| Ova and Parasites | Stool - minimum amount is pea-size portion in leak-proof container | Rectal swabs | Sent to ACL Must include medical or travel history |
| Pinworm Exam | Swube® tube Clear tape on glass slide | Frosted tape | Frosted tape cannot be examined under the microscope. |
| Respiratory Culture | Bronchoscopy Dental (surgical) Gastric Lung Percutanous trans. trach. Sinus Tonsils/ Peritonsillar | Specimens contaminated with oral flora | |
| Respiratory Syncytial Virus Antigen | Nasal wash NP swab | All other specimens | For RSV culture see chart Viral Culture |
| Rotavirus | Stool (minimum 5 mL) | -Specimen >12 hr old -Stool in preservative | |
| Sputum Culture | Mouth Sputum Tracheal secretions | -Specimen collected in Kleenex -Specimens not in sterile container | Specimen containing excess oral contamination is rejected. |
| Stool Culture | Colonoscopy material Stool 2 rectal swabs with evident fecal material | Specimens not in screw-capped container such as: Diapers Toilet paper | Test not performed on patients hospitalized >3 days |
| Stool Culture for VRE only | Stool Rectal swab Urine | For detection of colonization with VRE | |
| Throat (Strep A screen) | Plain swab preferred | Gel swab | Throat culture is performed if strep screen is negative. |
| Throat (no screen) | Plain or gel swab | Strep screen is not performed. | |
| Tissue Culture | Tissue Biopsy material | Dried specimens | |
| Urine Culture | Urine collected using sterile technique | 24 hour urine Catheter bags Unrefrigerated specimens greater than 2 hours old | Notify lab promptly when adding culture to a previously collected specimen. |
| Viral Culture | Use viral collection kit: Biopsy Rectal Blood Spinal Fluid Eye Sputum Fluid Throat Nasal Urine | Sent to ACL -Plain swab acceptable if received within 2 hours of collection. -Place plain swab in UTM media within 2 hours of collection and is acceptable if received within 24 hours of collection. |
|
| Wound Culture | Most body sites including catheter exit sites | Material dried on slides | Plain or gel swab are acceptable. |