Collection Instructions:

1. If submitting a syringe, remove needle. Add cap to end of syringe.

2. If direct collection is not feasible, specimen may be collected using a plain cotton swab or gauze.

3. If gauze is used to collect specimen, circle area on the gauze where specimen was collected.

4. Place cotton swab or gauze in as small a container as possible (eg, plain test tube or collection container).

5. Do not collect specimen with a culture swab.

6. Do not add any liquid to the swab or gauze.

Additional Information:

1. Samples collected from above the shoulders risk salivary contamination, which can degrade the beta-2 transferrin protein. These samples should be frozen immediately following collection and kept frozen until testing is performed.

2. Although results may be obtainable on smaller specimens (perhaps as little as 0.05 mL, depending on the protein concentrations and percentage of spinal fluid in the specimen), reliable results are best obtained with an adequate specimen volume.

3. Samples collected with additives such as microbiology media (eg, Stuart or Amies liquid medium) or TransFix/EDTA (used for analyses in flow cytometry) yield uninterpretable results and will be rejected.