Specimen Requirements

Submit only one of the following specimens:

Specimen Type: Nasopharyngeal swab

Collection Container/Tube: NP swab in Viral Transport Media

Specimen Volume: Entire recovered specimen
Collection Instructions:

1. Tilt patient’s head at a 70° angle
2. Holding swab between thumb and forefinger of 1 hand and sheath in other hand, give soft wire a 10° to 20°bend.
3. Press swab tip on mucosal surface of mid-inferior portion of inferior turbinate, and rub swab tip several times across mucosal surface to  loosen and collect cellular material (viruses adhere to epithelial cells, this step is critical).  Eyes may tear momentarily.
4. Slowly rotate swab as it is being withdrawn.  Repeat procedure for second nostril (same swab).
5. Return swab to viral transport media tube and break swab shaft at scoreline. Label tube with patient’s name, date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.

Specimen Type:Nasal wash

Collection Container/Tube: Viral Transport Media

Specimen Volume: entire collected specimen

Collection Instructions:

1. Tilt patient’s head at a 70° angle.
2. Fill a rubber bulb with 2 mL to 3 mL of sterile saline.
3. Insert end of rubber bulb through a nostril and into nasal cavity.  Instill saline and immediately recover it by aspiration.
4. Transfer specimen to tube of viral transport media.
5. Label tube with patient’s name, date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.

Specimen Type: NP aspirate

Collection Container/Tube: Viral Transport Media

Specimen Volume: entire specimen collected

Collection Instructions:

1. Tilt the patients head to a 70 degree angle.  
2. Instill several drops of sterile saline into each nostril.
3. Place catheter through nostril to posterior nasopharynx (same distance as from nostrils to external opening of the ear).
4. Apply gentle suction. Using rotation motion, withdraw catheter.
5. Transfer specimen to a tube of viral transport media.  
6. Label tube with patient's name, date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.