THROAT SWAB CULTURE & SENSITIVITY

SAMPLE TYPE: Throat swab (pharyngeal swab) — collected from the posterior pharynx and tonsillar areas. Swab in appropriate transport medium (e.g., Amies transport medium with or without charcoal, or equivalent bacterial transport system). SAMPLE COLLECTION INSTRUCTIONS: Ask patient to tilt head back and open mouth wide; use a tongue depressor to visualize the posterior pharynx Using a sterile swab, firmly swab both tonsillar pillars, posterior pharynx, and any areas of exudate, ulceration, or erythema Avoid touching the tongue, teeth, cheeks, or uvula to prevent contamination If a peritonsillar abscess is present, swab the area of maximum fluctuance Label specimen with patient ID, date, time, and collection site Patient should ideally not have eaten, drunk, or used oral antiseptics immediately before collection SAMPLE HANDLING: Transport swab in appropriate transport media promptly to the laboratory at refrigerated (preferred if processing delay is expected) or room temperature. Notify the laboratory in advance if Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Corynebacterium diphtheriae is suspected, as special media may be required