Hi all -

How do you prepare your wet mount specimens?

Have seen

1. adding 1-2 drops saline to the swab (ancient policies and the Dr's UpToDate ref source)- reason being you don't want to dilute the sample?
2. and 0.5 -1 ml of saline ( other hosp's in our organization) - reason being you don't want the cotton tip to dry out. 

I also think that if you add more liquid, you get more uniform distribution of your sample.

 

Have asked our micro dept, but have heard nothing yet.

Our tubes come up with the swab in about 1/2 ml saline.

Scott

 Thanks. Well, the latest from our microbiology department is a book referencing Ames media as a transport media. So, still looking for a reference source that sites Saline ( even though  it's been used for ages and I'm sure is fine )

Not in Micro any more but we used to add 2ml, shake and then centrifuge the liquid. We would then remove the supernatant and use the remaining pellet.