Acceptable Specimens:  Specimen source MUST be documented on the requisition.

• Urine:
  • Specimen Collection: Patient should not void 1 hour prior to specimen collection. Females should not clean labia area prior to collection.  Patient must collect the first 20-30 mLs of urine in a plastic, preservative-free collection cup.
  • Specimen Processing:  Urine must be transferred to APTIMA urine transport tube within 24 hrs of collection.
• APTIMA Unisex Specimen Collection Kit
  • Physician-collected endocervical swab
  • Physician-collected urethral swab
• APTIMA Multitest Specimen Collection Kit
  • Physician-collected vaginal swab
  • Physician-collected rectal swab
  • Physician-collected pharyngeal swab
• Other appropriate specimen types not listed above will be referred to an approved reference laboratory. 

Swabs or urine (Minimum:  2.0 mL urine) submitted in APTIMA collection kit/transport media; Transport at 2-30°C.

Urine Specimen Stability: Up to 30 days at 2-30⁰ C.

Swab Specimen Stability:  Up to 60 days at 2-30⁰ C.

Specimens (swabs or urine) not in approved transport media

Specimens without a swab in transport media. Large white swab is for preparatory cleaning of the endocervix and is unacceptable for testing

Sources not listed in 'Collect Section' above.

Urine collected by clean catch procedure or submitted in urine containers with preservatives.

Patient-collected swabs are not acceptable and will result in rejection of the sample. 

Up to 3 days if specimen received Friday, Saturday or before holiday.

Specimens received after 8AM are tested on the next testing day.

Repeat Testing Protocol:  All indeterminate specimens are required to have repeat testing completed prior to reporting patient result.  This quality protocol will extend turn-around-time.

Other specimen types not included in "Collect" section are referred out which may increase turn-around-time.

Avera McKennan Regional Laboratory