Throat

• Instruct patient to tilt head backwards, open mouth and say "ah."
• A tongue depressor may be used to depress the tongue and facilitate visualization of pharynx.
• Insert swab without touching lips, teeth, tongue, or cheeks.
• Gently and quickly swab the tonsillar area side to side, making contact with inflamed or purulent sites.
• Carefully withdraw swab without striking oral structures.
• Immediately place swab in culture tube being careful not to touch the swab to the outside of the tube and transport at 2-8 °C.
  • For viral cultures place in viral transport media and transport at 2-8 °C.