Specimen:
Collect
- Nasal Swab in Culturette-Aerobic
Also Acceptable:
- Nasopharyngeal Swab in Culturette-Aerobic
Submit
- Nasal Swab in Culturette-Aerobic. Submit Refrigerated.
Also Acceptable:
- Nasopharyngeal Swab in Culturette-Aerobic. Submit Refrigerated.
- Nasal Secretions in Viral Transport Media. Submit Refrigerated.
Special Handling
- To collect a sample, carefully insert the swab into the nostril exhibiting the most visible drainage, or the nostril that is most congested if drainage is not visible.
Nasal Swab Sample:
Using gentle rotation, push the swab until resistance is met at the level of the turbinates (less than one inch into the nostril). Rotate the swab several times against the nasal wall then slowly remove from the nostril.
Nasopharyngeal Swab Sample:
Pass the swab directly backwards without tipping the swab head up or down. The nasal passage runs parallel to the floor, not parallel to the bridge of the nose. Using gentle rotation , insert the swab into the anterior nare parallel to the palate advancing the swab into the nasopharynx, leave in place for a few seconds, then slowly rotate the swab as it is being withdrawn. The swab should be passed a distance halfway of that from the nose to the tip of the ear (about half the length of the swab). DO NOT USE FORCE while inserting the swab, it should travel smoothly with minimal resistance.
Transporting sample:
If transport of nasal or nasopharyngeal swab samples is required, elute the swab into 0.5 to 3.0 mL of viral transport media by rotating the swab in the liquid for 10 seconds within 1 hour of collection.
Stability for samples in viral transport media:
Ambient - 8 hours; Refrigerated - 3 days
Rejection Criteria
- Specimen collected on Calcium Alginate, Puritan Purflock Ultra flocked swabs, and Copan Standard Rayon Tip Swabs are unacceptable.
Stability
Ambient: 2 Hour(s); Refrigerated: 1 Day(s); Frozen: Unacceptable; Incubated: Unacceptable
Methodology
- Nicking Enzyme Amplification Reaction
Performed
Mon-Fri
Reported
1-2 Day(s)
CPT Codes
- 87502
Interpretive Data
Please see report for interpretive data.
Components
- 2693 - INFLUENZA A RNA
- 2694 - INFLUENZA B RNA
Last Updated: December 11, 2024 @ 10:13 am
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