Specimen Requirements

Call Rutland Regional Medical Center Laboratory Customer Service at 802-747-1771 to obtain media and slides for direct inoculation at time of collection.

Specimen Type: Conjunctiva

Collection Container/Tube: Swab

Submission Container/Tube: Media plates and slides or transport swab.

Specimen Volume: Entire specimen

Collection Instructions:

Sample both eyes using separate swabs by rolling over each conjunctiva.  Inoculate media at time of collection or submit swabs to Laboratory. 

Specimen Type: Corneal scraping

Collection Container/Tube: Platinum spatula

Submission Container/Tube: Media plates and slides

Specimen Volume: Entire specimen

Collection Instructions:

1. After instilling anesthetic in eye, an ophthalmologist should obtain scrapings of the cornea, ulcers, or lesions, with a heat-sterilized, platinum spatula.

2. Inoculate scraping directly to media plates, then smear on 2 glass slides--transport immedicately to laboratory.