○ Conjunctival swabs should be collected prior to the instillation of topical anaesthetics or antibiotics
○ Less than 1-2 mL of blood is inadequate for testing
o Conjunctival swab/corneal scraping: viral or universal transport medium
o Plasma: EDTA-blood tube (purple top)
o Urine: sterile container
Conjunctival swab:
○ Swab lower conjunctiva of both eyes (even if infection is unilateral) with a single flexible fine-shafted swab, place into transport media immediately after collection
Corneal scrapings
○ Corneal surfaces should be rinsed thoroughly with normal saline to remove anaesthetic prior to collecting specimen
○ Use a Kimura scalpel to scrape across the ulcer using short firm strokes in one direction. Obtain 3 to 5 scrapings per cornea. Avoid contact with eyelids/eyelashes. Place scrapings in viral transport media for molecular testing.
Sterile body fluids:
Plasma
○ Collect 5mL whole blood in anticoagulant (EDTA). Smaller volumes are acceptable for pediatric specimens (1mL).
Urine
○ Collect 10-20 mL of midstream clean-voided urine in sterile container
○ Label specimen container. Place specimens in biohazard bag and seal.
○ Transport specimens to the UHN/SH Microbiology Laboratory ASAP following collection. Specimens should be stored refrigerated at 2-8°C following collection.