This page provides clear guidelines and instructions for all personnel responsible for specimen collection and handling. Please see our guidelines on the procedure for making requests to the laboratory if you have not already done so.
- Guidelines for Specimen Collection
- Collection & Submission of Specimens
- Specimen Collection Manual
Collection & Submission of Specimens
CHEMISTRYshow
| Specimens to be tested | Tests | Contents | Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood for blood sugar, preserved | Blood sugar | Vacuum tube (5 ml) gray colored rubber stopper, with sodium oxalate | Tap powder down to bottom of tube. Withdraw venous blood Mix blood and powder by inverting tube about 10 times. Label tube with patient name, date of birth, date of collection and test required. NB: Patient for FBS must be fasting for at least 6 hrs before blood is collected. |
| Blood (clotted) | Lipid profile | Vacuum tube (7 ml) red colored rubber stopper | Patient must be fasting for at least 11 hrs before blood is collected. Withdraw venous blood. Label tube with patient name, date of birth, date of collection and test required. Allow blood to clot in vacuum tube, standing upright at room temperature. Get blood sample to laboratory within ½ hour of collection. |
| Blood (clotted) | Liver function Single Liver analytes Renal Function Single renal analytes Cardiac enzyme Single cardiac analytes
Electrolytes Calcium Phosphorus Magnesium Ulric Acid Amylase Total Iron / TIBC | Vacuum tube (10 ml) red colored stopper | Allow blood to clot in vacuum tube, standing upright at room temperature. Get sample to the laboratory within ½ hour of collection. |
| Blood Gases | pO2, pCO2, pH, HCO3, TCO2, SO2, BE, K+, Na+ | For ER and Ward Patients. Call the Laboratory. Doctors who order blood gases are responsible for the blood collection, since arterial puncture is not performed by the technologist. | |
| Urine | Amylase | 2hr sample or 24 hrs sample | |
| Creatinine Clearance Micro Protein | Screw cap container | Follow the guidelines for the collection of 24-hr urine. | |
| Drug Level (Urine) | Cannabinoids Cocaine Meth / Anthetamines Opiates | Screw cap container | Instruct patient to void urine in container |
SEROLOGYshow
| Specimens to be tested | Tests | Contents | Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clotted blood | HIV, HBSAg, Hep C, RPR, CRP, ASOT, Rubella, IM, WIDAL, LE | Vacuum tube (7ml) red colored rubber stopper | Withdraw venous blood. Allow blood to clot in vacuum tube standing up right at room temperature. |
MICROBIOLOGYshow
| Specimens to be tested | Tests | Contents | Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faeces / stool | Culture | Screw capped container | The stool should be passed into a clean, dry container Use the swab to sample diarrheal portions of stool. Especially blood, mucus and pus. Forward specimens to the laboratory without delay. If not, hold specimen under refrigeration or at room temperature. |
| Faeces / stool | Ova / parasites | Screw capped container | The stool should be passed into a clean, dry container Swab is not accepted. |
| Urine | Culture and Microscopic | Screw capped container | Instruct patient to collect midstream specimen. Have a clean, sterile collection container at hand. Initiate urination with first portion going into toilet. When approximately half of the voiding is completed, without interrupting the process of urination, a portion of urine is collected in the container and the latter part of the urine flow is again passed into the toilet. |
| Urine | Urinalysis | Non-sterile Screw capped container | Instruct patient to void urine based on the type of specimen required. Check guidelines for collection of various types of urine specimen. |
| Sputum | Culture | Sterile container | Send early morning specimen. Collect the specimen resulting from a deep cough into the sterile screw capped container. Be sure to fasten lid tightly. |
| Sputum | AFB microscopic | Screw capped container | Collect the specimen resulting from a deep cough into container. At least three (3) successive first-morning, deep cough specimen is required. Be sure to fasten lid tightly. Label container with patient name, date of birth, date of collection and specimen type. |
| Sputum | TB Culture | Sterile screw capped container | Collect a specimen resulting from a deep cough into container. At least three (3) successive first-morning, deep cough specimen is required. Be sure to fasten lid tightly. Label container with patient name, date of birth, date of collection and specimen type. |
| Blood Culture | Culture | Adults (70 ml) 1 TSB Bottle 8 — 10 ml blood Children (20 ml) 1 BHI Bottle 1 — 3 ml blood Volumes of Blood | Blood Culture site selection should follow the same basic guidelines as for routine venipuncture. Before the collection of a specimen for blood culture analysis, the selected venipuncture site must be prepared by aseptic technique. it is imperative not to introduce bacteria into the specimen being collected. Therefore, change the needle before pouring blood into the bottles. Label containers with the patient name, date of birth, date and time of collection and the specimen type. |
| Body Fluids (Ascitic, Joint, Pleural) | Culture | Sterile red top no additives tube | Before the collection of a specimen for fluid culture analysis, the selected venipuncture site must be prepared by aseptic technique. It is imperative not to introduce bacteria into the specimen being collected. Label tube with patient name, date of birth, date of collection and specimen type. |
| Body Fluids (Ascitic, Joint, Pleural) | Cell Count Gram Stain | Red top no additive tube | Place 3 — 5 ml of fluid into the tube and label with patient name, date of birth, date of collection and specimen type. |
| Spinal Fluid | Cell Count Gram Stain Culture | Sterile red top no additives tube | Collect 3 — 5 ml of fluid in two tubes if possible and label with patient name, date of birth, date of collection and specimen type. |
| Puss, wound | Culture | Sterile cotton tip swab in tube containing transport medium | Use one swab to obtain specimen for culture. After collection, insert into bottle with transport medium. Label swab with patient name, date of birth, date of collection and specimen type. |
| Skin, Hair, Nail | fungal culture | Clean container or clean paper | Submit a generous amount of skin scraping, nail clipping, hair routes in container or clean paper. Label container with patient name, date of birth, date of collection and specimen type. |
| Vaginal | Microscopic examination for Trichomonas viginalis, yeast and bacterial vaginosis only. | Sterile cotton tip swab in tube containing transport medium | Use on swab to obtain specimen for culture. After collection, insert swab into bottle with transport medium. Label swab with patient name, date of birth, date of collection and specimen type. |
| Cervical Swab | Culture for Neisseria gonorrhoeae only. Microscopic Examination is not recommended for female cervical swabs. Gram Stain | Sterile cotton tip swab in tube containing transport medium. | Use one swab to obtain specimen for culture. After collection, insert swab into bottle with transport medium. Label swab with patient name, date of birth, date of collection and specimen type. |
| Urethral Swab | Culture for Neisseria gonorrhoeae only. Gram Stain | Sterile cotton tip swab in tube containing transport medium. | Use one swab to obtain specimen for culture. After collection, insert swab into bottle with transport medium. Label swab with patient name, date of birth, date of collection and specimen type. |
| Other(Ear, Eye, Nasal, exudates from skin, throat, mouth) | Culture | Sterile cotton tip swab in tube containing transport medium. | Use one swab to obtain specimen for culture. After collection, insert swab into bottle with transport medium. Label swab with patient name, date of birth, date of collection and specimen type. |
HISTOLOGYshow
| Specimens to be tested | Tests | Contents | Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tissue | Histology | Clean screw capped container or red top no additive tube | Place tissue in container with three (3) times its volume of Fixate. Label the container with patient name, date of birth, date of collection and specimen type. |
CYTOLOGYshow
| Specimens to be tested | Tests | Contents | Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body Fluids (Ascitic, Joint, Pleural) | Cytology | Red top no additive tube | Place 5 — 10 ml of fluid into the tube and label with patient name, date of birth, date of collection and specimen type. |
| FNA slides | Cytology | Clean glass slides (frosted ends) | Collect specimen with a syringe. Place on four slides. Cytofix two and allow the other two slides to air dry. Label slides with patient name, date of birth, date of collection and Fix (F), NonFix (NF). |
| Pap smears | Cytology | Clean glass slides (frosted ends) | Collect specimen with scraper. Place on slide. Fix slide with cyto-fixative. Label slides with patient name, date of birth and date of collection. |