1. Eye / Respiratory Ear swab** Gram stain These specimens will not be processed without adequate Culture for 48 hours clinical treatment information Eye swab** Gram stain If from a neonate, culture for Neisseria gonorrhoeae is also Culture for 48 hours done Gastric aspirates / ZN stain (days 1, 2, & 3) Young children cannot produce sputum for TB good quality sputum TB GeneXpert days 1 & 2 only GeneXpert cannot be used for TB treatment monitoring Sputum / ETT Gram stain These specimens usually aspirate** have little clinical value as Culture for 48 hours they are often heavily ZN stain & TB GeneXpert if requested contaminated by colonising organisms Melioid culture if requested Throat swab No Gram stain Routine swabs only report growth of beta-haemolytic Culture for 24 hours streptococci Melioid culture if requested Culture for N. gonorrhoeae is done if flagged as a suspected sexual abuse case Culture for Candida sp., if flagged as an HIV or other immunocompromise case Gastro-intestinal tract Faeces No Gram stain Culture will identify Salmonella sp. and sp. Shigella Wet prep / ZN stain for parasites Culture for 48 hours if requested Skin / soft tissue
1. Eye / Respiratory Ear swab** Gram stain Culture for 48 hours These specimens will not be processed without adequate clinical treatment information Eye swab** Gram stain Culture for 48 hours If from a neonate, culture for Neisseria gonorrhoeae is also done Gastric aspirates / sputum for TB ZN stain (days 1, 2, & 3) TB GeneXpert days 1 & 2 only Young children cannot produce good quality sputum GeneXpert cannot be used for TB treatment monitoring Sputum / ETT aspirate** Gram stain Culture for 48 hours ZN stain & TB GeneXpert if requested Melioid culture if requested These specimens usually have little clinical value as they are often heavily contaminated by colonising organisms Throat swab No Gram stain Culture for 24 hours Melioid culture if requested Routine swabs only report growth of beta-haemolytic streptococci Culture for N. gonorrhoeae is done if flagged as a suspected sexual abuse case Culture for Candida sp., if flagged as an HIV or other immunocompromise case Gastro-intestinal tract Faeces No Gram stain Wet prep / ZN stain for parasites Culture for 48 hours if requested Culture will identify Salmonella sp. and Shigella sp. Skin / soft tissue