Understanding Transport and Culture Mediums in the Clinical Setting

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Course Objectives
  1. Differentiate between transport and culture media with respect to composition, purpose, and handling requirements.
  2. Describe the role of healthcare professionals—particularly medical assistants and phlebotomists—in the accurate collection, labeling, and transportation of specimens.
  3. Apply evidence-based best practices for selecting, storing, and transporting specimens using the medium most appropriate for the suspected pathogen.
  4. Reference and integrate authoritative guidelines (e.g., CDC, CLSI, ASM) to remain current with evolving specimen collection and laboratory protocols.
Course Content
Course Creator: Kirsten Hermens, NCMA-P
Total CE Hours: 1 Credit Hour
Pace Course #: 586-2507-25
Course Overview: Accurate pathogen identification is essential in clinical practice to ensure effective diagnosis, treatment, and infection control—both within the individual patient and across broader populations. Transport and culture media serve a critical role in this process by preserving and, when appropriate, facilitating the growth of microorganisms necessary for laboratory analysis. For healthcare professionals—including medical assistants, laboratory technologists, and phlebotomists—appropriate selection and use of these media are fundamental to maintaining specimen integrity and supporting optimal patient outcomes.

References: 
  1. Dahal, P. (2023, September 27). Transport media: Principles, uses, types, and examples. Microbe Notes. Retrieved August 7, 2025, from https://microbenotes.com/transport-media/
  2. Aryal, S. (2022, January 5). Amies Transport Medium – Composition, Principle, Preparation, Results, Uses. MicrobeNotes. Retrieved August 12, 2025, from https://microbenotes.com/amies-transport-medium/
  3. Aryal, S. (2022). Cary‑Blair Transport Medium – Composition, Principle, Preparation, Results, Uses. MicrobeNotes. Retrieved August 12, 2025, from https://microbenotes.com/cary-blair-transport-medium/
  4. Puritan Medical Products. (2025, August 4). What is a viral transport medium? How to choose the best VTM for your clinic. *Puritan Blog*. https://blog.puritanmedproducts.com/viral-transport-media
  5. Remel. (2010, January 11). *Stuart Transport Medium* [Instruction for Use]. Fisher Scientific. https://assets.fishersci.com/TFS-Assets/LSG/manuals/IFU64620.pdf
  6. Labcorp. (n.d.). Microbiology specimen collection and transport guide [PDF]. Labcorp. https://www.labcorp.com/assets/5141
  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, July). *Chapter 2: Collection and transport of fecal specimens* [PDF]. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/cholera/media/pdfs/2024/07/Chapter-2-Laboratory-methods-for-the-diagnosis-of-epidemic-dysentery-and-cholera_ENG-2.pdf
  8. Dsa, O. C., Kadni, T. S., & Sudheesh, N. (2023). From cold chain to ambient temperature: Transport of viral specimens — a review. *Annals of Medicine, 55*(2), Article 2257711. https://doi.org/10.1080/07853890.2023.2257711
  9. MBP Inc. (n.d.). The importance of laboratory sample transportation. *MBP Inc.* Retrieved [Month Day, Year], from https://mbpinc.net/the-importance-of-laboratory-sample-transportation
  10. Association of Public Health Laboratories. (n.d.). *Appropriate collection and handling methods of respiratory specimens* [PDF]. APHL. Retrieved September 4, 2025, from https://www.aphl.org/programs/infectious_disease/Documents/Appropriate%20Collection%20and%20Handling%20Methods%20of%20Respiratory%20Specimens.pdf
  11. LibreTexts. (n.d.). Culture media. In Microbiology (Boundless), Culturing bacteria. LibreTexts. https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Microbiology/Microbiology_(Boundless)/06%3A_Culturing_Microorganisms/6.03%3A_Culturing_Bacteria/6.3A%3A_Culture_Media
  12. American Society for Microbiology (ASM). (2019). Manual of Clinical Microbiology (12th ed.). ASM Press. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1128/9781555816728
  13. MacFaddin, J. F. (2000). Media for isolation-cultivation-identification of bacteria (3rd ed.). Williams & Wilkins. https://www.worldcat.org/title/media-for-isolation-cultivation-identification-of-bacteria/oclc/42911866
  14. Holt, J. G., Krieg, N. R., Sneath, P. H. A., Staley, J. T., & Williams, S. T. (1994). Bergey’s manual of determinative bacteriology (9th ed.). Williams & Wilkins. https://books.google.com/books?id=B-0dBQAAQBAJ
  15. Boundless. (n.d.). 6.3C: Selective and differential media. In Microbiology (Boundless), Culturing bacteria. LibreTexts. https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Microbiology/Microbiology_(Boundless)/06%3A_Culturing_Microorganisms/6.03%3A_Culturing_Bacteria/6.3C%3A_Selective_and_Differential_Media#:~:text=lac%20operon%20mutants.-,Key%20Points,of%20target%20organisms%20are%20present
  16. Fisher, I. S., & Thompson, J. (1996). Microbiology and food safety. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119405030
  17. Sigma-Aldrich. (n.d.). Types of media in microbiology. MilliporeSigma. https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/US/en/technical-documents/technical-article/microbiological-testing/microbial-culture-media-preparation/types-of-media-in-microbiology
  18. Enrichment media [PDF]. (n.d.). Scribd. https://www.scribd.com/document/876692412/Enrichment-Media
  19. "Transporting Biological Samples: Best Practices."** American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 152(3), 226-233.  

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