Sample Collection&
transport
Objectives
• General consideration for sample
collection
• Sample safety considerations
• Rejection criteria
• Collection of different samples from
different sites
• Transportation
General consideration for proper
sample collection
-Every laboratory should provide proper
guidelines for collection of samples
-All diagnostic information depends on
quality of sample recieved
-If sample collection, transport, media are
not proper, it will give false results
• Collect sample before administering
antimicrobial agents when possible.
• Utilize appropriate collection devices.
Use sterile equipment and aseptic
technique to collect specimens to
prevent introduction of microorganisms
during invasive procedures.
• Clearly label the specimen container
with the patient’s name and
identification number. Always include
date and time of collection and your
initials.
• Collect an adequate amount of
specimen. Inadequate amounts
of specimen may yield false-
negative results.
• Identify the specimen source
and/or specific site correctly so
that proper culture media will
be selected during processing
the laboratory.
• Collect specimens in, sterile, screw-
cap, leak proof containers with lids
that do not create an aerosol when
opened.
• Collect sample after proper preparation
of area by spirit.
Sample Safety considerations
• Follow universal precaution guidelines.
Treat all specimens as potentially
biohazardous.
• Laboratory workers should use appropriate
barrier protection (such as gloves and
laboratory coat or gown) when collecting or
handling specimens. If splashing may
occur,
protective eyewear, face masks, and aprons
may be necessary.
• Do not contaminate the external
surface of the collection container
and/or its accompanying paperwork.
• Minimize direct handling of
specimens
Label High risk
•
Specimens
Sputum
with
suspected
Tuberculosis
• Fecal samples
suspected with
Cholera,
Typhoid,
• Serum when
suspected
with HIV/
REJECTION
• CRITERIA
Leaking/broken container
• Insufficient amount
• Improper labelling
• More time lag between collection and
transport
• Improper transport media
• Improper transport temperature
• Hemolysed sample
A Request
•
form
Should include:
-Name ,Age ,Sex,Address
-IPD/ OPD No ,ward,
-Time and Date,
-Urgent / Routine,
-Type of specimen
-Investigation needed
-History of patient
-Provisional diagnosis
-Doctor’s name and sign
When to Request Transport
Medium
• When facilities are not available to perform
the desired tests at the place of collection or
laboratory located far away, request the
Diagnostic laboratories to advice on
transportation of specimens, and consider
how
to preserve and transport in ideal medium
before it is processed
• Popularly used transport medium are
-Amie 's transport Medium:
Gonococcal infection
-Carry blair
medium: stool
Collection of different samples
• Blood
• Urine
• Stool
• Rectal swab
• Sputum
• Csf
• Mycology samples
• Wound swabs
• Water sample
Bloo
• d
Take proper precaution (gloves)
• Avoid contamination
• Palpate vein
• Apply disinfectant
• Use sterile needle and syringe
• Collect 5-10 ml blood for two sets of culture
each
• In children collect 2-5 ml
• after cleaning with spirit
Blood for serology
• Same precautions
and method
• Collect blood into
plain vacutte
• It will coagulate
• Centrifuge it at
1500-2000 rpm for
5 mins
• Thus serum will be
separated
Urine
For females
• Rinse area with soap and water
• Clean it with sterile gauze piece
• Take mid stream clean catch urine
• This will prevent contamination
• Collect it into wide,sterile,leak proof
container
• Transport it directly to the laboratory
after proper labelling
• If delay in transport, preserve it at 4-6
degree centigrade
• 10000-100000 cfu/ml will show
contamination mostly
Stool
• Collect it into wide mouth,clean,
sterile,leak proof container
• Label properly
• Min 5 gms is needed if solid
stool
• And 2 ml if liquid stool
• It should not be contaminated with
urine
• If not possible to collect it as in
children, elderly, debilitated patients–
collect rectal swab
• Do not referigerate stool
• If delay in transport preserve it into
10% formalin, buffered glycerol saline
Rectal swab
• Take sterile swab
• Apply it in anal canal
• Rotate it for 10 seconds
• Avoid contact with skin
• Seal it directly into swab container to
prevent contamination
• Transport immediately to lab , if not
possible,preserve at 4-6 degree
centigrade
Sputum
• Wide container of 50-100 ml capacity
• For M.TB two samples are collected
• 1st at on the spot and 2nd at next day
morning
• Morning sample is more reliable bcz of
colonization of bacteria at night
• Before this ask patient to gargle with
normal saline and take deep breath and
then take sample in one bout
• This will prevent contamination
• There should not be saliva or liquid
• It should be collected before antibiotic
treatment has started
Procedure to collect CSF
• Collect only 3-5 ml into
a labeled sterile
container
• Removal of large volume
of CSF lead to
headache,
• The fluid to be
collected at the rate of
4-5 drops per second.
Preservation of CSF
• It is important when
there is delay in
transportation of
specimens to
Laboratory do not
keep in
Refrigerator,
which tends to kill H.
Influenza
• If delay is
anticipated leave at
Room
Temperature.
MYCOLOGY SAMPLES
• Clean site with 70% ethanol to help eliminate
surface contaminants. Using a scalpel, skin
scrapings should be made from the active
periphery of the lesion. For nails Scrapings
should be deep enough to assure acquiring
recently invaded tissue Submit scrapings in a
sterile Petri dish or container.
• Hair - Use forceps to pluck involved hairs
from the edges of the patches. Submit
hair, including shaft, in a sterile Petri dish
or container.
Samples from wounds
• The ideal sample is pus or exudates
should be submitted in a small screw-
capped bottle in firmly stoppered tube
or syringe or a sealed capillary tube.
Transportation of samples
• Stool, csf and sputum should be
transported at room temperature, not in
refrigerator
• Urine , swabs, skin samples,water & food
samples are transported asap at room
temp,but if it is not possible, preserve
them in refrigerator
Thank You
