testing guide

Urine Swab

• Dysuria, urinary frequency or burning on urination
• Recurrent urinary tract infections or perrsistent symptoms despite treatment
• Contact or exposure to a sexually transmitted disease
• History of treatment failure or high risk for antibiotic resistance (PCR is not affected by concommitant antibiotic therapy.)

Vaginal Swab

• Vaginal itching, burning, discharge, swelling, sores or painful urination
• Concern of Bacterial Vaginosis
• Sexually active women younger than 25 years old
• Women 25 years and older with multiple sex partners
• Women experiencing infertility

Nasophyrngeal Swab • Sputum Swab

• Acute upper respiratory symptoms of infection
• Risk of co-infection in the presence of a viral syndrome
• Recurrent sinus infections or unresponse to therapy
• Pathogen outbreak exposure (e.g. flu, RSV, Legionnaire’s disease...)

Wound Swab • Wound Tissue

• Non-healing wound with suspected infectious process
• Prior negative culture (20-30% of pathogens may not grow in a culture due to biofilm formation. PCR is not limited by the phenotypic change of pathogens in biofilm
• Poor wound healing perioperatively
• Recurrent wound with history of MRSA or prior infection

Nail Clipping • Nail Shaving

• Non-healing nail inflammation with suspected infection (25% of nails can be co-infected with bacteria and current cultures are usually targeted with mediums for fungi only.
• Definitive diagnosis of infection prior to prescribing anti-fungal meds, which can be very toxic and lead to side effects.