Test Menu & Specimen Guide: every assay we run, and what sample it takes

Every assay we run, the sample it needs, and how fast it comes backCLIA #45D2048957 · CAP #8722734 · Same-day results · Walk-ins welcome

What can Auspicious Laboratory actually test, and from what sample?

This page is the lab's own menu, written out in full. Use it to check three things before you come in: is the target on the menu, what specimen it needs, and whether it can come back the same day. If a target is not listed here, we do not run it — and we will tell you that instead of guessing.

STD / STI molecular panel (RT-PCR) — 12 markers

Eleven targets run by RT-PCR from urine or a swab; HIV is the twelfth marker and is a blood test. You can order a single marker, a few, or the full panel.

Urinary tract infection panel (RT-PCR, urine)

Nineteen uropathogens plus six antibiotic-resistance genes — the resistance genes are the part a urine culture at an urgent care will not give you the same day.

Specimen: urine. Method: RT-PCR. Same-day: yes.

Gastrointestinal pathogen panel (RT-PCR, stool)

Specimen: stool. Method: RT-PCR. A stool culture typically takes 2–4 days and mainly finds bacteria; it does not detect norovirus, which is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in U.S. adults.

Respiratory pathogen panel (RT-PCR, nasal swab)

Specimen: nasal swab. Method: RT-PCR. One swab covers flu, COVID and RSV together — plus the bacterial causes a rapid flu/COVID antigen test cannot see.

Clinical toxicology (for healthcare providers)

How fast is each result — and what is eligible for STAT?

What we do not offer

• Syphilis serology (RPR/VDRL, TP-PA/EIA). Not on our menu. Staging and cure confirmation need it.
• Type-specific HSV blood serology. Not on our menu. A healed sore cannot be answered by a swab.
• Hepatitis B and C testing. Not on our menu.
• Bacterial culture and susceptibility (MIC). We report resistance genes by PCR, which is faster; a culture-based MIC is a different measurement.

If you need one of these, a licensed physician can order it elsewhere. We would rather send you to the right test than sell you the wrong one.

FAQ

Do you run the tests in-house or send them out?

In-house, in our Houston laboratory at 3707 Westcenter Dr Suite 100. We are CLIA-certified (#45D2048957) and CAP-accredited (#8722734) for high-complexity molecular testing. That is why a PCR result comes back the same day instead of in 3-5 days.

What sample do I give for an STD test - urine or a swab?

Eleven of the twelve markers can be run from urine or a swab. Herpes and syphilis are best taken as a swab of the lesion itself while it is present. HIV is a blood test. If you are not sure, text us and we will tell you which sample fits your symptoms.

Can a urine PCR rule out syphilis?

No. PCR can detect Treponema pallidum when the organism is present at the site sampled, but syphilis is staged - and cure is confirmed - with blood serology (RPR/VDRL titers plus a treponemal test), which we do not perform. A negative PCR does not exclude syphilis, and a positive one still needs a physician and serology.

Can you tell me if I carry herpes if my sore has already healed?

Not from a swab. PCR needs the virus to be present at the site. Once the lesion has healed, that question is answered by type-specific blood serology, which is not on our menu. A licensed physician can order it.

What is the difference between your UTI panel and a urine culture?

A culture grows organisms - typically 24-72 hours, and fastidious or polymicrobial infections can be missed. Our PCR panel detects 19 uropathogens plus 6 antibiotic-resistance genes directly from the urine, the same day. What a culture gives you that PCR does not is a phenotypic MIC.

Do you do drug testing for employers?

Our toxicology services - ELISA screening, specimen validity, and LC-MS/MS definitive confirmation in urine or oral fluid - are for healthcare organizations and clinicians ordering for clinical purposes. Contact the lab to discuss requisitions and account setup.

Do you really measure anti-tuberculosis drug levels?

Yes - serum levels for ten TB drugs by LC-MS/MS, including isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, ethambutol, linezolid, moxifloxacin and pretomanid. This is ordered by a physician for a patient who is not responding as expected, or who has malabsorption, diabetes or HIV co-infection.

References

• CDC — Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021 (diagnostic recommendations by infection and specimen site).
• CDC — Syphilis: diagnosis and testing (nontreponemal + treponemal serology; titers for staging and follow-up).
• CDC — Genital herpes: diagnosis (NAAT of the lesion is the preferred test; type-specific serology when no lesion).
• IDSA — Urinary tract infection guidelines.
• CMS — CLIA program; CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program — how to verify a laboratory yourself.
• CDC/ATS/IDSA — Treatment of drug-susceptible and drug-resistant tuberculosis (therapeutic drug monitoring in slow responders and malabsorption).