Clinical Specimen Standard Incubation Cultures Target details/ media read organism(s)‡ Temp Atmos Time conditions °C Pharyngitis Throat swab Blood 35-37 Anaerobic ≥18hr (Sore throat) agar7* 24hr Lancefield group Epiglottitis A, C and G streptococci Tonsillitis Laryngitis Staph/Strep 35–37 Aerobic ≥24hr selective agar** 87,88 For these situations, add the following: Clinical Specimen Incubation Cultures Target details/ media read organism(s) Temp Atmos Time conditions °C Membrane Throat swab Hoyle's 35-37 Air daily Toxigenic formation or tellurite agar OR C. diphtheriae membranous and C. ulcerans swab Foreign travel to high risk area S. aureus Throat swab Blood agar** 35-37 5-10% CO2 S. aureus 18hr carriage 24hr GUM clinic, posterior GC selective 35-37 5-10% CO2 N. gonorrhoeae 40hr pharyngeal agar gonorrhoea, N. meningitidis swab N. meningitidis OR case or contact swab Treatment Throat swab agar 35-37 5-10% CO2 A. haemolyticum 48hr failure and 32 recurrent tonsillitis Epiglottitis Throat swab Chocolate 35-37 5-10% CO2 24 H. influenzae agar Diabetes, Throat swab Sabouraud 35-37 Air Yeasts ≥40hr agar OR Oral OR candidosis swab agar# Clinical Specimen Optional Incubation Cultures Target details/ media read organism(s) Temp Atmos Time conditions °C Persistent sore Pus aspirate Fastidious 35-37 Anaerobic 5-7 d F. necrophorum ≥48hr throat or Anaerobic 37 OR Quinsy Agar (FAA) containing
Clinical details/ conditions Specimen Standard media Incubation Cultures read Target organism(s)‡ Temp °C Atmos Time Pharyngitis (Sore throat) Epiglottitis Tonsillitis Laryngitis Throat swab Blood agar7* 35-37 Anaerobic ≥18hr Lancefield group A, C and G streptococci Staph/Strep selective agar** 87,88 35–37 Aerobic ≥24hr For these situations, add the following: Clinical details/ conditions Specimen media Incubation Cultures read Target organism(s) Temp °C Atmos Time Membrane formation or membranous Foreign travel to high risk area Throat swab OR swab Hoyle's tellurite agar 35-37 Air daily Toxigenic C. diphtheriae and C. ulcerans S. aureus carriage Throat swab Blood agar** 35-37 5-10% CO2 18hr S. aureus GUM clinic, gonorrhoea, N. meningitidis case or contact posterior pharyngeal swab OR swab GC selective agar 35-37 5-10% CO2 40hr N. gonorrhoeae N. meningitidis Treatment failure and recurrent tonsillitis Throat swab agar 35-37 5-10% CO2 48hr A. haemolyticum 32 Epiglottitis Throat swab Chocolate agar 35-37 5-10% CO2 24 H. influenzae Diabetes, Oral candidosis Throat swab OR swab Sabouraud agar OR agar# 35-37 Air ≥40hr Yeasts Clinical details/ conditions Specimen Optional media Incubation Cultures read Target organism(s) Temp °C Atmos Time Persistent sore throat or Quinsy Pus aspirate OR Fastidious Anaerobic Agar (FAA) containing 35-37 Anaerobic 5-7 d ≥48hr F. necrophorum 37 24hr 24hr