Specimen Collection, Transport and Storage:

• Specimen Types: Female and male urine, patient-collected vaginal swabs (collected in a clinical setting), clinician-collected endocervical swabs, and female and male pharyngeal and rectal swabs.
• Collection Instructions:
  • Xpert® Swab Specimen Collection
    • Obtain Xpert® Swab Specimen Collection Kit.
    • Open kit and obtain large cleaning Swab.
    • Open package and obtain small collection swab from wrapper.
    • Insert small collection swab into endocervical canal (Remove excess mucus from cervix and area using the large cleaning swab.  Discard the swab.), throat, or rectum and rotate clockwise for 10-30 sec.  Remove swab.
    • Place small collection swab into pink cap transport tube, breaking swab at scoreline into tube.
    • Cap tube and label with patient ID, and date as required.
  • Urine Specimen Collection: First Catch Urine sample
• Specimen Stability:
  • Urine Samples:
    • First catch female urine specimen must be transferred to the Xpert Urine Transport Reagent tube within 24 hours of primary collection if shipped and/or stored at room temperature.
    • First catch male urine specimen must be transferred to the Xpert Urine  Transport Reagent tube within 3 days of primary collection if shipped and/or stored at room temperature.
    • First catch male and female urine specimen NOT transferred to the Xpert Urine Transport Reagent tube (unpreserved urine specimen) can be shipped and/or stored for up to 8 days at 4 °C ± 2°C.
    •  First catch female urine specimen that is transferred to the Xpert Urine Transport Reagent tube (preserved female urine specimen) can be shipped and/or stored up to 45 days at 2 °C to 15 °C, or up to 3 days at 2 °C to 30 °C before testing with the Xpert CT/NG test.
    • First catch male urine specimen that is transferred to the Xpert Urine Transport Reagent tube (preserved male urine specimen) can be shipped and/or stored up to 45 days at 2 °C to 30 °C before testing with the Xpert CT/NG test.First catch female urine specimen is stable for 24 hrs if transported at room temperature (18-30°C).
  • Xpert Swab Specimen Collection Kit:
    • Swab samples stored in Xpert Swab Transport Reagent tubes should be transported to the laboratory at 2°C to 30°C.
    • Swab samples in Xpert Swab Transport Reagent tubes are stable up to 60 days at 2 °C to 30 °C before testing with the Xpert CT/NG test.