GRAM STAIN

Sterile fluids, swab or pus from wound, abscess, eye, sputum, and other sites.

• Specimen should reach the Microbiology Laboratory within 2 hours of collection.
• If delay in transportation cannot be avoided, keep specimens at 2 to 8°C.

Gram Stain

“No organisms seen” or descriptive report of observations.

2 – 4 hours

Daily

• For swab specimens, requests for gram stain and culture cannot be ordered on a single swab.
• Please note that Gram stain is routinely done and reported for all sputum and CSF culture requests.
• Bacterial culture should usually be requested together with Gram stain request.

Single swab received for both gram stain and culture.