Specimen Requirements

Specimen Type: Throat swabs only, no other specimen types accepted

Container/Tube: (send one)

• ESwab
• Dry Puritan Rayon-tip swab 
• Amies gel tube (Lawson #450094) intended for SHMG POC testing when confirmatory culture is desired 
• 1 mL tube with liquid Amies media (Lawson #139748) paired with rayon swab (Lawson #141229).

Transport container:

• • •  
• Puritan rayon swabs are placed in an appropriately labeled clean, dry plastic tube or sleeve.
• POC: use the dry swab provided in the kit to perform Strep antigen testing. If confirmatory culture is desired, collect a second specimen using an Amies gel collection kit.
• SH Hospitals (excluding HDVCH and Lakeland): collect using a rayon swab paired with liquid Amies media. Use the rayon swab to perform Strep Antigen testing and send tube with remaining liquid media to SHRL Microbiology for culture when necessary.
• Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital (HDVCH): dual dry rayon swabs may be used for both rapid antigen testing and culture. For all other locations, a dry swab may cannot be submitted for culture.

1. Do not use calcium alginate, cotton-tip, charcoal agar, or swabs with a wooden shaft.

Collection Instructions:

1. Depress the tongue with a depressor.
2. Using the appropriate swab, collect from white patches or red, raw areas of the throat only. Avoid teeth, gums, tongue, and uvula.
3. Insert an ESwab into the corresponding tube and break shaft at scored line OR place Puritan swab in a clean, dry plastic tube or sleeve.
4. Label the tube with the patient’s name and date of birth (at least 2 patient identifiers), specimen source, and date/ time of collection.
5. Send to the laboratory as soon as possible.