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HelpTest Code GCCUL GC Culture
Specimen Type
Swab, discharge, fluid, or tissue from a genital tract site (cervical, vaginal, penile, endocervical, endometrial, urethral, vulval, placental, lochia, bartholin cyst, semen).
Also rectal, throat, nasopharyngeal, and neonatal eye swabs.
Preferred Collection Container
E-SWABCollection Volume
1 swab
Minimum Collection Volume
1 swab
Collection Instructions
Do not collect urethral specimens until at least one hour after urinating. Collection directly from male urethral discharge is desirable. Collect anorectal specimens from the crypts just inside the anal ring; anoscopy useful. Prostatic fluid yields fewer positives than does urethral culture.
Endocervix: Swab endocervical canal. Avoid contaminating swab with vaginal secretions. Cultures from the urethra or vagina are indicted from females when endocervical culture is not possible.
Urethra: Strip the urethra toward the orifice to express exudate. Use a sterile swab to obtain the specimen.
Vagina: Use a speculum, moistened only with warm water, not lubricant. Obtain a specimen from the posterior vaginal vault or from the vaginal orifice if the hymen is intact.
Throat: Swab posterior pharynx and the region of the tonsillar crypts.
Rejection Criteria
Specimen not received in appropriate container; Unpreserved specimen older than 2 hours; Refrigerated specimens; Dry swabs; Unlabelled specimen or incomplete requisition. If an unacceptable specimen is received, the nursing station will be called and
Specimen Storage and Stability
<24 hours for swabs in transport medium at Room temperature. Do not refrigerate.
Turn Around Time
Preliminary culture results available at 48 hours. Culture with no GC will be reported after72 hours. Cultures from which N. gonorrhoeae is isolated require a minimum of 72 hours for completion.
Lab Department
Microbiology
Alias
Test of Cure for GC or Neisseria Gonorrhea; GC Culture; Culture for GC Only; Culture for Neisseria gonorrhoeae Only; GC Screen Culture; Genital Culture for Neisseria gonorrhoeae Only; Gonorrhea Culture, Genital; Jembec Culture; Thayer-Martin Culture; Urethritis Culture for Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Go
EPIC Code
LAB235
Acceptable Collection Container
Eswab—White or Blue (Mini-tip) Cap or sterile container
Additional Information
Requisition must state screen for N. gonorrhoeae, collection time, date, specific site of specimen, name of patient, hospital identification number and initials of person collecting specimen, current antibiotic therapy, and clinical diagnosis.
Day(s) and Time(s) Performed
6:00am – 12:30am