A-Z

A

• Acanthamoeba
• Actinomyces
• Adenovirus
• Amoebiasis - see Ova, Cysts and Parasites
• Antenatal Screens
• Antibiotic and Antifungal Assays
• Ascitic Fluid
• Aspergillus

B

• Beta-D-glucan (BDG)
• Biopsies
• BK Virus
• Blood Culture
• Bone Marrow
• Bordetella pertussis (whooping cough)
• Burkholderia
• Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)

C

• Cannula / Central Line Tips
• Central Nervous System (CNS) Device
• Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)
• Chickenpox - see Varicella Zoster
• Chlamydia - see Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
• Clostridium difficile
• CMV
• Conjunctivitis - see Eye Samples
  Send swab for bacterial culture, corneal scrape inoculated on to culture plates and swab / scrape in viral transport medium for viral PCR.
• Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) Fluid
• COVID-19
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)
• Cryptococcal Antigen / Cryptococcus
• Cryptosporidium - see Ova, Cysts and Parasites

D

E

• Ear Swabs - see Surface Swabs
• EBV
• Encephalitis - see Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)
  Discuss suspected cases with Microbiology medical staff.
  
• Endocarditis
  Send blood culture sets from three separate venepunctures and off antibiotics if possible. If culture-negative, consider blood serology for Q Fever (Coxiella) and Chlamydia. Consult Microbiology medical staff.
  See Blood Culture for specimen requirements.
• Endophthalmitis
  Send aqueous / vitreous fluid - see Eye Samples
• Enteric Samples - see Faeces and/or Ova, Cysts and Parasites
• Enteric Parasites - see Ova, Cysts and Parasites
• Eye Samples

F

• Faeces
• Flu and RSV - see Respiratory Virus Testing
• Fungal Culture

G

• Gastroenteritis - see Faeces and/or Ova, Cysts and Parasites
• Genital Culture
• Giardia - see Ova, Cysts and Parasites
• Glandular Fever - see EBV
  Send serum for EBV, CMV IgM, Toxoplasma IgM and HIV.
• Gonorrhoea - see Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
• Gout - see Joint Aspirates
• Group B Strep (GBS) Screening

H

• Heart Valves and Pacing Wires
• Helicobacter Pylori
• Hepatitis - see Molecular Testing and/or Serological Testing
• Herpes simplex virus (HSV)
• HIV - see Molecular Testing and/or Serological Testing
• Hospital-acquired Infection
  Microbiology supports testing programmes for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile and Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE).
• HTLV-1 - see Serological Testing
  
• Human Herpes Viruses 6, 7, 8 (HHV6, HHV7, HHV8)

I

• Immunoglobulins
• Influenza - see Respiratory Virus Testing

J

K

Keratitis - see Eye Samples
Send swab for bacterial culture, corneal scrape inoculated on to culture plates and swab / scrape in viral transport medium for viral PCR.
Contact lens keratitis may require Acanthamoeba PCR arranged with the lab by Ophthalmic Surgeons if relevant.

L

• Leg Ulcers - see Surface Swabs
  Superficial samples are not usually helpful except in chronic mycobacterial infection; in this case send a biopsy.
• Legionella
• Line Infection - see Blood Culture or Line Tip Culture
  Send central and peripheral blood cultures and line tips.
  
• Line Tip Culture
• Lower Respiratory Tract Infection - see Respiratory Samples
• Lyme Disease

M

• Malaria
  Malaria is diagnosed by the examination of a blood film and/or detection of malaria antigen in EDTA blood. These tests are performed by Haematology.
  
• Measles
  Oral fluid kits are available from UKHSA: 0344 225 3861
  They will be sent to the Virology Reference Department in London
• Meningitis
• Molecular Testing
• Mouth Swab - see Surface Swabs
• MRSA
• Mumps
  Oral fluid kits are available from UKHSA: 0344 225 3861
  They will be sent to the Virology Reference Department in London
• Mycobacterial Culture

N

• Nail Clippings / Scrapings - see Dermatophyte Cultures
• Needle Stick Injury
• Nephrostomy - see Urine Culture and Microscopy
• Nocardia
• Nose Swab - see Surface Swabs and/or MRSA
• Norovirus

O

P

• Parasite for Identification - see Ova, Cysts and Parasites and/or Urine Culture and Microscopy
• Parvovirus - see Molecular Testing and/or Serological Testing
• Perfusion Fluid - see Sterility Check
• Peritoneal Dialysis Fluid - see Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) Fluid
• Pertussis - see Bordetella pertussis (whooping cough)
• Pneumocystis Jiroveci Pneumonia (PJP)
• Pleural Fluid
• Pneumonia
• Pus / tissue / fluid samples

R

• Respiratory Samples
  • Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)
  • Burkholderia
  • Legionella
  • Nocardia
  • Pneumocystis Jiroveci Pneumonia (PJP)
  • Pleural Fluid
  • Pneumonia
  • Sputum
    
• Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) - see Respiratory Virus Testing
• Respiratory Virus Testing

S

• Schistosomiasis - see Urine Culture and Microscopy
• Semen - see Genital Culture
  Discuss samples for infertility examination with Oxford Infertility Unit: 01856 782800
  Do not send to Microbiology
• Serological Testing
• Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
• Skin Scrapings - see Dermatophyte Cultures
• Sputum
• Sterile Sites
• Sterility Check
• Surface Swabs
• Syphilis - see Serological Testing

T

• Throat Swab - see Surface Swabs
  For virus testing - see COVID-19 and/or Respiratory Virus Testing
• Toxoplasma - see Serological Testing
• Tuberculosis (TB) - see Mycobacterial Culture

U

V

• Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) - see Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)
• Vaginal Swab - see Genital Culture and/or Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
• Varicella Zoster
• Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) Shunt - see Central Nervous System (CNS) Device

W

• Worm for Identification - see Ova, Cysts and Parasites
• Wound Swab - see Surface Swabs