Specimen Type

The use of cotton swabs for specimen collection is seldom satisfactory. If a swab is used for collection of material, it should be extended into the depths of the wound, without touchting the adjacent skin margins.

Skin and nail Scrapings

Instructions for collection

1. Wash affected area with 70% alcohol and allow to dry
2. Superficial portions of the nail should be scraped away with a sugical blade before collecting deeper portions which have a greater likelyhood of being infected.
3. Collect presumed-infected material in a clean envelope, urine container, or petri dish.

Hair

May be clipped or plucked from an infected area. Stubs or lusterless hair are more apt to be infected. Collect presumed-infected material in a clean envelope, urine container, or petri dish.