Saint Luke's Regional Laboratories

For swab specimens: Roche Cobas 4800 media, M4-RT or M6 viral transport media. For urine specimens: polypropylene urine container without preservative.

Genital swab specimens (female or male); urine (female or male)

1 swab; 10 - 50 mL of first-catch, random urine

Swab Specimens:
1. Collect the specimen using the appropriate collection swab (no wooden swabs).
2. Place the swab in Roche Cobas 4800 media, M4-RT or M6 viral transport media.
3. Label the tube with the patient's full name, date of birth, identification number, date and time of collection, initials of the person collecting the specimen, and the specimen source.
4. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
5. The specimen source is required on the request form for processing.

Urine:
1. Collect 10 - 50 mL from a first-catch, random urine collection in a polypropylene container without preservative. Urine that has been transferred to a yellow top tube without preservative is also acceptable.
2. Label the container with the patient's full name, date of birth, identification number, date and time of collection, initials of the person collecting the specimen, and the specimen source.
3. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.
4. The specimen source is required on the request form for processing.

Room temperature or refrigerated

Room temperature - 24 hours

1. Swabs with wooden shafts are not acceptable.
2. The swab MUST BE PRESENT in the transport media.
3. Urine specimens containing preservative (gray top or tiger top urine tubes) are not acceptable.
4. GenProbe (Aptima) urine transport tubes are not acceptable.
5. Oral specimens will be accepted for NG PCR testing, but will be reported with the following comment: "Sample source has not been validated for NG PCR testing in this laboratory."

87591 - Neisseria Gonorrhoeae PCR (EAP 30051021)

Testing is performed daily, Monday through Friday. No testing performed on weekends or SLHS holidays. Test is not offered on a STAT basis.

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)