GC (Neisseria gonorrhoeae) Culture Only

Test ID: 

705756

CPT code:

87081

Synonyms:

Neisseria gonorrhoeae Culture
Culture for Neisseria gonorrhoeae Only
Culture for GC Only
Genital Culture (GC) Only
Gonorrhea Culture
Jembec Culture

Clinical Use:

Isolate and identify N gonorrhoeae; establish the diagnosis of gonorrhea

Specimen Type:

Body fluid, discharge, pus, swab of genital lesions, or urethral discharge (best for men when available), anus, throat.

Requested Volume: 

0.5 mL or one swab inoculated to Jembec plate or one swab in Amies gel bacterial transport

Container Type: 

Jembec (available from the laboratory) or Thayer-Martin plate (client-provided) are preferred. Prewarm plate before inoculation.Bacterial swab transport containing Amies gel is also acceptable

Collection:

Do not collect urethral specimens until at least one hour after urinating. Collection directly from male urethral discharge is desirable. Collect anorectal specimens from the crypts just inside the anal ring; anoscopy useful. Prostatic fluid yields fewer positives than does urethral culture.  Endocervix: Swab endocervical canal. Avoid contaminating swab with vaginal secretions. Cultures from the urethra or vagina are indicated from females when endocervical culture is not possible.  Urethra: Strip the urethra toward the orifice to express exudate. Use a sterile swab to obtain the specimen.  Vagina: Use a speculum, moistened only with warm water, not lubricant. Obtain a specimen from the posterior vaginal vault or from the vaginal orifice if the hymen is intact.  Swab samples should be rolled over the surface of the Jembec medium.

Storage Instructions:

Inoculated Thayer-Martin plates should be placed in a CO2 incubator or candle jar within 15 minutes of collection. For Jembecs, remove a CO2-generating tablet from its foil wrapper and place in the specially-designed well in the plate. Place inoculated plates in the ziplock bag and seal the bag. Jembecs should be preincubated at 35°C, if possible, prior to shipment at room temperature.

Rejection Criteria

Inappropriate specimen received; unlabeled specimen or name discrepancy between specimen and request label; specimen received after prolonged delay (usually more than 72 hours); specimen received in expired transport container