You will be provided with 2 swabs.

Before you are admitted to the hospital for your surgery, you will be screened for Antibiotic Resistant Organisms.  This involves taking swabs from your nose and rectum.  You can take these swabs yourself, or if you need help you can go to your family doctor's office.

• The MRSA swab is taken from the nose.
• Take the cotton tipped swab from the package, and insert it into the gel at the bottom of the plastic tube.  Gently dip the cotton tip in to the gel to moisten it.
• Take the moistened swab and roll it at the entrance of both sides of the nose, using the same swab for both nostrils.
• Place the cotton tipped swab into the plastic tube with the gel at the bottom.
• The swab should already be labeled with your name and 'Nose Swab' on the tube.
• Clearly write collection date and time on swab.

                                                                             VRE SWAB (RECTUM)

•  The VRE swab is taken from the rectum or from a stool sample.  If you have a colostomy, you may gently dip the cotton tipped swab in to the stoma.
• Using a new swab, moisten the cotton tip with the gel at the bottom of the plastic tube provided.
• Gently insert the cotton tip into the rectum, or dip the cotton tip into a sample from the bowel movement (collected from a piece of toilet paper or paper towel) to obtain some fecal matter on the tip of the swab.  The swab MUST have visible stool on it.
• Place the cotton tipped swab back into the plastic tube with the gel at the bottom.
• The swab should already be labeled with your name and 'Stool or Rectal Swab' on the tube.
• Clearly write collection date and time on swab.

If swab are collected at home, please return them back to the laboratory that gave you the swabs within 24 hours of collection.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Laboratory.
For the results of your test, please contact your doctor.