Group A Screen by Culture Information Sheet

‌Overview

MDL Test Name

Group A Screen by Culture

MDL Test Code

GAS

Ask at Order Questions

Does the patient have a penicillin allergy?

Specimen Source

Throat

‌Specimen Requirements

Container/Tube

ESwab

Specimen Volume (minimum)

• N/A (swab specimen)

• Must have swab present in container

  Sample Stability Time

  48 hours

  Transport/Storage Conditions

• Refrigerated (2 – 8°C)

• Ambient (20 – 25°C)

  Patient Preparation / Collection Instructions

  Refer to WSU MDL ESwab Collection Guide

   

  ‌Performance

  Days Performed

  Daily; Monday – Sunday

   

  Report Available (TAT) – (Once received at MDL)

  1 – 3 days

  Specimen Retention Time

  7 days

  Method Description

• Conventional aerobic bacterial culture technique, screening for presence or absence only of Group A (Streptococcus pyogenes).

• Identification methods (when appropriate) may include any of the following: conventional biochemical testing, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry, and commercial identification panels.

  Reference Values

  No growth of Group A Strep (Streptococcus pyogenes)

  Cautions

• A ‘positive’ pharyngeal culture for GAS indicates the presence of S. pyogenes but does not distinguish between infection and colonization.

• Reports only presence or absence of Group A Streptococcus.