Home Cultures 
Who said "House Calls" are a thing of the past? Well it may not be exactly like days of old, but this is just about as good. More of a "Mouse Call" from your computer. With MommyImSick.com (MIMS) you can have all the advantages of a diagnostic laboratory at home. Following these simple directions will give you access to the same tests available to you at any medical facility. But you do not have to leave home. When the results are in they are in a format your doctor expects. Now your doctor can feel much more comfortable dealing with your medical condition as he will have access to the information he is used to having access to in his office.

The following tests are available to you through MommyImSick.com
 
Home Throat Cultures
A culture of the throat is recommended when there is pain or swelling in the back of the throat. It is very useful when deciding if antibiotic therapy is needed. A throat ulture can identify many bacterial causes of throat pain. Rapid screening tests only detect one strain of Strep ignoring other causes. In addition to screening for strep infection, you will fi nd out if other potential dangerous bacteria are in your throat. (MRSA, Haemophiulus, Staph. others…) The usefulness and accuracy of the home throat culture has been proven by a study published in Pediatrics. (See Link) http://pediatrics. aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/53/5/687
 
How to do a throat culture
will need the throat culture kit. This is available directly from the MIMS website. Create an account for the individual requiring the test. Follow the following procedure:
  1. Remove the culture tube from the plastic wrapper.
  2. Secure the provided label to the culture tube.
  3. Record the number on the tube label into the “create a culture page” on the MIMS website.
  4. Remove the Rayon tipped swab from the plastic tube using care not to allow the inner contents to touch anything but the back of the throat.
  5. Swab the back of the throat back and forth over the tonsils and back wall of the throat. See fi gure 1. Use the tongue blade to hold the tongue out of the way.
  6. Replace the swab into the plastic sheath.
  7. Bring the culture tube to one of the drop off locations or Fed Ex it to the address printed on the label.
 
Nasal Cultures
Recent studies indicate the causes of nasal infections can be determined by a culture of the material collected on a clean tissue following the blowing of the nose into the tissue in people with nasal infections. In the home culture setting, this is the most practical means of obtaining the culture results.

Steps in obtaining a nasal culture.
  1. You will need the nasal culture kit from the MommyImSick.com website.
  2. Remove the culture tube from the plastic wrapper.
  3. Secure the provided label to the culture tube.
  4. Record the number on the tube label into the "create a culture page" on the MIMS website.
  5. Have the individual requiring the test blow their nasal secretions into the supplied tissues
  6. Remove the Rayon tipped swab from the plastic tube.
  7. Touch the rayon tip to the secretions in the tissue.
  8. Replace the swab in the plastic cover.
  9. Send the culture to the laboratory either through Fed Ex or at a local drop off location if one is available.
  10. Results should be available 24 – 48 hours after received by the lab. Some additional tests may require additional time.
Alternate method for obtaining nasal culture

If you are appropriately trained, the small culture tube may be inserted into the nasal cavity to obtain the culture. The tip should be advanced about one inch into the nasal cavity. Stop if signifi cant discomfort or resistance is encountered. Avoid this technique in the presence of blood thinners or recent nose bleeding. This can obtain useful results when the patient is unable to produce a sample by blowing the nose onto a tissue.
 
Urine Culture
  1. Obtain the urine test kit from MommyIm-Sick.com
  2. Follow the instructions in the kit to collect a clean midstream urine sample.
  3. Transfer a small portion of the sample into the shipping sample tube. Follow the directions on the tube.
  4. Record the label number on the MommyIm-Sick.com create a home culture page and attach the label to the specimen tube.
  5. Carefully package the small sample tube into the absorbent packing material and then into the shipping box and shipping envelope.
  6. Results should be available on your secure site in 24-48 hours after sample arrives at the laboratory.
 
Skin Culture
Skin can be cultured in several ways:

Technique one: For infected scrapes, cuts wounds you may use the rayon swab directly on the area of suspected infection. Culture will include tests for staph., strep., and MRSA. Hold the swab against the infection for enough time for moisture to be transferred to the swab.

Technique two: Cover the infected skin with the supplied adhesive dressing for at least 5 minutes but no more than one hour. Place it in the sterile container for shipping to the laboratory.

If the suspicion is of a fungal infection, vigorously rub the area of concern with the swab to loosen the superfi cial skin layers and then label and ship the sample to the laboratory. Indicate on the create a culture section the culture is for skin fungus. Skin fungal infections, unlike other infections may take several weeks to grow in the laboratory so do not expect a fi nal report before that period of time.
 
Finger Nail or Toe Nails
Carefully trim the excess nail material with clean nail clippers or scissors. Place the clippings into the sterile container and label with the kit supplied label. Record the culture on the web site and ship for analysis.
 
 
 

 
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