Specimen Type/Requirements

Aptima Collection Kit - Swab, Urine, Liquid Cytology (Thin Prep)

Indicate source on order and specimen

Acceptable sources include:  Vaginal, Urethral, Endocervical. Urine

Reject Criteria: Transport tubes with 2 swabs • Transport tubes with Non-APTIMA® swabs • Swab transport tubes with no swab • Swab submitted in viral transport media • Urine samples where the fluid level is not between the black fill lines • PreservCyt® ThinPrep® material previously processed for cytology • PreservCyt® ThinPrep® with excess mucus.

Collection Instructions

Vaginal swab: Follow instructions in the APTIMA® Vaginal Swab Collection or Multitest Collection Kit (orange label).

Endocervical or Urethral Swab: Follow instructions in the APTIMA® Unisex Swab Specimen Collection Kit (white label). In females, to ensure collection of cells infected with N. gonorrhoeae/C. trachomatis, columnar epithelial cells lining the endocervix should be obtained. Excess mucus should be removed prior to sampling.

Urine: Direct patient to provide a first-catch urine (a maximum of 20-30 mL of the initial urine stream) into a urine collection cup free of any preservatives. 2 mL of urine specimen must be transferred into the APTIMA® Specimen Transport within 24 hours of collection and before being assayed.
Use the tube provided in the urine specimen collection kit. The fluid (urine plus transport media) level in the urine transport tube must fall within the clear pane of the tube label.

Labs performing cytology: Aliquot ThinPrep® PreservCyt® solution before performance of liquid based cytology testing.

PreservCyt® ThinPrep® : Transfer 1 mL ThinPrep® PreservCyt® solution into APTIMA® Specimen Transfer Tube (green label) or APTIMA® Vaginal Collection or Multitest Collection Tube (orange label) or Unisex Swab Specimen Collection Kit (white label).

Test is not affected by hemolysis, lipemia or icterus.