4.3.4.5 Fixing the Slides

If an evidence collection kit is available, it will include a large number of cotton-tipped swabs with which to collect samples as well as many glass slides and a stand or other materials (like cups) that allow the slides to air-dry without touching any other surface.

For each swab collected, the healthcare provider will make a slide that will need to air-dry for a minimum of one hour before it is packaged up.

This is to set the sample so that it will not degrade over time or grow mold and become unusable.

Air-drying is crucial to this process, so the slides must be clearly labeled and arranged so that they do not fall or touch each other over the course of the one hour in which they are drying.