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Collection, Storage and Transportation of Laboratory Specimens

The document outlines good clinical laboratory practices for the collection, storage, and transportation of laboratory specimens, emphasizing patient safety and specimen integrity. It details standard precautions to prevent contamination, proper specimen labeling, and specific storage requirements for various specimen types. Adhering to these guidelines ensures accurate and reliable laboratory test results.

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10 views6 pages

Collection, Storage and Transportation of Laboratory Specimens

The document outlines good clinical laboratory practices for the collection, storage, and transportation of laboratory specimens, emphasizing patient safety and specimen integrity. It details standard precautions to prevent contamination, proper specimen labeling, and specific storage requirements for various specimen types. Adhering to these guidelines ensures accurate and reliable laboratory test results.

Uploaded by

kcvrpwmmz8
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Collection, storage and transportation of

laboratory specimens

Good clinical laboratory practice is an international


ethical and scientific standard for designing,
conducting, recording and reporting medical tests,
the main objectives of good laboratory practice are:
a) to obtain excellent biological specimens for
pathology testing while Ensuring the comfort and
safety of the patient and the technician.
b) To preserve the integrity of the specimen to
ensure optimum results by:
• Collecting the specimen into the correct
container (size, medium, expiry etc.).
• Storing the specimen at the correct
temperature.
c) To ensure that the specimen is transported to
the laboratory in a safe and timely manner.
Standard Precautions to prevent contamination
of specimen and technician

• Always wash hands before and after the collection of specimens.


• Wear gloves when necessary.
• Disposal of needles, syringes and sharps must be into sharps
containers.
Sample Collection
• Always identify the patient.
• Select the right equipment required to collect the specimens
(blood tubes, swabs etc.).
• Once the sample is collected, dispose of any sharps objects
immediately.
Specimen types:
• Specimen collection: will be illustrated later
• Specimen identification and labeling:
• EVERY individual tube, container, specimen sent to the lab
must have a label applied to it (not loose in the bag.)
• All specimens or blood samples without a label will be
rejected.
• All labels & requisitions must be examined to determine if
all information necessary is present & correct.
• Identification of the patient and labeling of specimens must
occur at the point of collection (at the bedside).
• For any specimen, there are necessary items that need to
be present on the label and they must all be correct or the
specimen will be rejected. Adults items include :last name,
first name, date of birth, collection date, collection time
collector’s initials
• Storage
• To ensure the quality of results, specimens should be
transported to the laboratory as soon as possible. However,
if there is a delay, to minimise deterioration we recommend
these guidelines be followed.
• Microbiology Specimens
• Specimens that should be stored at refrigerator
temperature until transport to the laboratory are
swabs, Urine , Faeces ,Body fluids / aspirates ,Sputa ,
FNA and Tissue samples
• some specimens should be stored at room temperature
such as Blood Cultures and Mycology skin scraping
• Seminal Fluids for infertility Keep at body temperature
(to lab within 1 hr.).
• Chemistry / Haematology / Immunology It is preferable
and ideal to have all blood specimens sent to the lab as
soon as possible.
• Histology Specimens fixed in Formalin at Room
temperature.
• Cytology Smears Fixed slides are transported to Lab in
slide holders after fixing and air-drying.

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