| Ordering Code | 625 |
|---|---|
| Test Name | GC Screen |
| Alias | GC Culture Gonorrhea Culture Neisseria gonorrhoeae Culture |
| Preferred Specimen | Genital, Rectal or Throat Specimen |
| Preferred Container | Eswab |
| Other Specimen/Container | Modified Thayer-Martin (MTM) Media in CO2 atmosphere |
| Optimum Volume | 1 inoculated MTM media or 2 swabs |
| Collection Instructions | Genital: Prior to collection, allow MTM media to come to room temperature. Females: Swab endocervical canal, avoiding contaminating the swab with vaginal secretions. Males: Patient's last urination should be at least 1 hour prior to collection. Strip the urethra toward the orifice to express exudate. Use a sterile swab to obtain specimen. Indicate specimen source on the requisition Rectal: Prior to collection, allow MTM media to come to room temperature. Collect anorectal specimens from the crypts just inside the anal ring. Indicate specimen source on the requisition Throat: Prior to collection, allow MTM media to come to room temperature. The swab should be taken from the tonsillar area, and/or posterior pharynx. Care should be given to avoid the tongue and uvula. Indicate specimen source on the requisition. |
| Handling Instructions | Immediately after collection, inoculate Thayer-Martin media by rolling swab(s) onto the surface of the media. Place media in special bag. Open CO2 pill packet and place in bag Seal bag securely to preserve the CO2 atmosphere. |
| Transport Requirements | Oahu: Ambient Airline: Ambient |
| Specimen Stability | Ambient: Plate in CO2 = 1 Day, Swab = 1 Day Specimen will be accepted up to 1 Day, but fastidious organisms such as GC may not remain viable unless processed immediately after collection. The recommended (and preferred method) of submission is immediate plating to MTM media and placement into a CO2 environment. |
| Rejection Criteria | Dry cotton swab, Frozen, Refrigerated, Chocolate agar plate instead of MTM received, MTM agar plate NOT in CO2 atmosphere, VTM |
| Avail. Stat | NO |
| Analytic Time | Up to 3 Days Preliminary at 24 hours Additional time is required for identification if culture is positive. |
| Methodology | Visual examination of bacterial growth on selective media with identification of isolates for Neisseria gonorrhoeae. |
Reference range(s)
The reference ranges listed below are valid on this date of June 29, 2025.
| Component | Age | Male Norm | Male Critical Low | Male Critical High | Female Norm | Female Critical High | Female Critical Low | Units | Add'l info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source: | ALL | See report. | |||||||
| Report Status: | ALL | See report. | |||||||
| Culture | ALL | NO GC ISOLATED | NO GC ISOLATED |