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State Hygienic Laboratory

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Neisseria gonorrhoeae Culture

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Test Description
  • Contact: Reference Bacteriology (319) 335-4448
  • Test Request Form: Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance
  • SHL OpenELIS Code: 620
Bacterial culture using selective growth media to isolate Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Routine or Test of Cure.
Reflex Test(s)
Miscellaneous by Miscellaneous
Performed Avg. Turnaround Time Method
Coralville, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., M-F
4 - 5 business days Bacterial Culture
Fee CPT Code(s)
No charge 87081
Specimen Requirements
Specimen Type: Female Endocervical, Male Urethral, Rectal, or Throat swab
Patient Preparation: Patient should not have urinated for at least 1 - 2 hours prior to collection of urethral swab.
Collection Instructions: Use a Copan Liquid Amies Elution Swab (ESwab™) or similar collection and transport system. If multiple swabs are collected, place each swab in an individual transport tube and clearly label each. Complete collection instructions may be found here.
Shipping:
Specimens should be stored and shipped under the same conditions. Wrap specimen container in absorbent material and place each specimen in an individually sealed biohazard bag. Transport specimen, room temperature or refrigerated, as soon as possible after collection. If the specimen will be received more than 24 hours after collection, ship refrigerated to increase recovery of N. gonorrhoeae. Ship to the Coralville location.
Temperature and Stability: Refrigerated or Room Temperature; stable for 24 hours.
Rejection Criteria: Specimens will be rejected if received under these conditions:

Unlabeled specimens, use of a collection swab other than Eswab, frozen specimens, expired or leaking Eswabs, vaginal samples on females of child-bearing age.
Expected Results:
No Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated; Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated; Presumptive positive for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, confirmation to follow.
Comments
Culture is rarely requested due to existing molecular methods. Culture is mainly requested for legal purposes or for patients not responding to therapy. If Neisseria gonorrhoeae is isolated, it will be sent to the Minnesota Department of Health, Public Health Laboratory for antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
Alternate Names
Gonorrhea, GC culture
The University of Iowa

State Hygienic Laboratory

General inquires
SHL Client Services
319-335-4500 or 1-800-421-IOWA (4692)
ask-shl@uiowa.edu

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