Specimen Requirements

Note:  A swab is not recommended for collecting specimens to diagnose otitis media infections. External ear canal organisms contaminate the specimen, making interpretation of clinically relevant growth difficult and misleading.

Ear Canal/Ear Drum

Specimen must arrive within 6 hours of collection.

1. Cleanse external canal with mild antiseptic and rinse with sterile saline.

2. Collect specimen using a culture transport swab.

3. Swab specimen from active margin, preferably including fresh secretion from deeper areas with a culture swab or mini-tip culture transport swab.

4. Return the swab to the sterile culture transport tube, to ensure specimen preservation.

5. Label tube with patient’s name (first and last), date of birth, date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.

6. Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature only.

Note:  Specimen source is required on request form for processing. Please give specific source description, do not label as “EAR.”

Tympanocentesis

Note:  Tympanocentesis specimen is suitable for anaerobic culture if indicated.

1. Cleanse external canal with mild antiseptic and rinse with sterile saline.

2. Patient may be given general anesthetic, since incision causes great pain.

3. Physician will surgically incise ear drum and collect as much fluid as possible into a syringe. Alternatively, material may be allowed to collect on a sterile swab.

4. Return swab to sterile culture transport tube, to ensure specimen preservation. If submitting in a syringe, needle must be removed prior to transport.

5. Label tube/syringe with patient’s name (first and last), date of birth, date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.

6. Maintain sterility and forward to laboratory promptly at ambient temperature only.

Note:  Specimen source is required on request form for processing. Please give specific source description, do not label as “EAR.”