Collection Medium:

Minimum:

Specimen-cervical, male urethral, male or female urine.
PCR transport swab available from Hospital Stores 923740.

Testing
Schedule:

Tests are run two times weekly (Wednesday and Friday).

Analytic Time:

6 days

Comments:

1. Swab collection:
   A.  Female: Wipe exocervix with a large swab to remove excess
       mucus. Dispose of this swab. Insert new swab into cervical canal
       and rotate it against the walls. Place swab in transport media
       and break off shaft to cap transport tube.

   B.  Male: >2 hours post urination and before other specimens are
       collected, introduce swab into distal urethra (2-4 cm).  Place
       swab in transport media and break off shaft to cap transport
       tube.

   Swabs should be refrigerated prior to transport or transported on
   ice if total time from collection to receipt in the lab is >1 hour.

2. Urine: Males and Females
   Patient should be instructed not to urinate for two hours prior to
   collection.  Collect 10-50 ml of first catch urine in a clean
   plastic container.
   Transport urine at room temperature within 24 hours of collection.

Specimens that are received from off-site centers must be stored at 
2-8C until shipment with a guaranteed arrival of 24 hours.  Tests are 
run two times weekly (Wednesday and Friday).

Test of cure is not recommended as routine practice after therapy for 
Chlamydia trachomatis with first-line CDC-recommended regimens, except 
after therapy during pregnancy.  Nonculture tests that are performed <3 
weeks after completion of therapy might be falsely positive due to the 
presence of nonviable organisms [MMWR 51 (RR-15):1-39, 2002].

Methodology:

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

Sample
Processing:

Immediately place specimen into vial of transport media and seal 
tightly.
Indicate specimen/fluid type on requisition.
Label transport tube with two patient identifiers, date and time of 
collection.
Maintain sterility and forward promptly to lab.
Specimen should be collected and packaged as close to shipping time as 
possible.
Specimen source is required on requisition for processing.
Submit urine in leak-proof plastic container.

Sample
Storage:

Refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Transport
Instructions:

Place coolant packs into styrofoam container.
Place requisition into outside pocket of bag.
Recommend express mail or equivalent if not on courier service.