Nasal/Nasopharyngeal Swab or Nasal Aspirate

Identify specimen source. Dry swab NOT in media required for collection.

State clinical diagnosis and date of onset.

Swab Collection Instructions:
1. Gently insert nasopharyngeal swab into a nostril until the posterior nasopharynx is reached.
2. Leave the swab in place for 10-30 seconds.
3. Slowly remove with a rotating motion.
4. Please swab tip into the 1.5 mL screw cap tube provided in the kit.
5. Bend swab back and forth in the tube until the swab tip breaks at the point where the swab shaft becomes thicker. The break point is approximately 1.5" from the tip of the swab. Use caution and avoid touching any part of the swab that was inside the nostril to prevent contamination.
6. Tightly cap the tube.
7. Deliver immediately to Specimen Control.

Nasal/Nasopharyngeal Swab (Product #923012) or Sterile container (Product #37777 or #37778) for Nasal Aspirate.

Swab in Universal Transport Media/Viral Transport Kit. Calcium alginate or cotton-tipped wooden-shafted swab.

Deliver to laboratory after collection.

1-3 days upon receipt at reference laboratory

Not Detected

Patients suspected of having pertussis should be placed under droplet precautions. Optimal specimen is collected within 2 weeks of symptom onset and prior to start of antibiotic treatment. The CDC 2010 clinical criteria for a probable pertussis case are cough (often in the absence of symptoms such as fever, sore throat, hoarseness, tachypnea or wheezing) lasting >2 weeks; one or more typical symptoms (paroxysms of cough, inspiratory whoop, posttussive vomiting); or in an epidemic setting, an acute coughing illness lasting >2 weeks.

This test should NOT be used on asymptomatic individuals who have been exposed to pertussis.

Test detects both live and dead bacteria and is NOT a test of active disease and cannot be used as a test of cure.

State clinical diagnosis and date of onset.

Real Time RT-PCR

87798