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ADDRESS
Sanford Laboratories
PO Box 5056
Sioux Falls, SD 57117-5056
PHONE
605-328-5464
800-522-2561
FAX
605-328-5434
E-MAIL
E-mail Sanford Laboratories
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| Specimen Collection and Specimen Labeling Policy |
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Accuracy of laboratory test results depends on the quality of the specimen submitted for testing. Careful attention to recommended collection protocols is extremely important. If questions arise about patient preparation or specimen collection, please call Client Support for assistance.
Specimen requirements are provided in the various test listings. Please refer to these sections first. When necessary, there will be a reference in the test listing to the GENERAL INFORMATION Section. This section offers more extensive instructions for selected assays.
Generally, the specimen requirements are written in a format that specifies the requested volume, and specimen type, minimum volume, storage temperature, and any special handling notes. |
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Specimen Collection
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Serum or Plasma
Draw blood in the type of vacutainer tube indicated in the test listing. For serum or plasma, draw approximately 2 1/2 times the requested volume. For serum, allow the blood to clot at least 15-20 minutes and separate by centrifugation. For plasma, thoroughly mix the whole blood with the anticoagulant by gently inverting the tube five to ten times and separate plasma by centrifugation. Transfer the serum or plasma to a plastic transport tube available from our Supplies Department. Write the proper sample type on the tube label.
Whole Blood
Collect whole blood in the type of vacutainer tube indicated for the specific test. Thoroughly mix the blood with the additives by gently inverting the tube. Maintain specimen at the required temperature. Never freeze whole blood unless specifically instructed in the specimen requirements.
Recommended Order-of-Draw for Glass & Plastic Venous Blood Collection Tubes:
- Blood culture tubes.
- Coagulation tubes (e.g., sodium citrate or blue closure)
- Serum tube with or without clot activator, with or without gel (e.g., red closure).
- Heparin tube with or without gel plasma separator (e.g., green closure)
- EDTA (e.g., lavendar closure)
- Glycolytic inhibitor (e.g., oxalate, gray closure)
- Other specialized anticoagulants
-Source: CLSI, Volume 23, Number 32, H3-A5 Standard
Drawing Blood Using Winged Blood Collection Sets (Butterflies)
When using a winged blood collection set for venipuncture and a coagulation (citrate) tube is the first specimen to be drawn, first draw a discard tube. The discard tube is used to fill the "dead space" in the tubing. This helps to ensure that the line is primed and the proper volume of blood is evacuated into the second coagulation (citrate) tube used for testing.
Specimen Collection Reminders
- An overnight fast means nothing to eat or drink, except water, for 12-16 hours after an evening meal.
- Tubes with powdered anticoagulants should be tapped near the stopper to dislodge any anticoagulant that may be between the stopper and the tube wall.
- All tubes with liquid anticoagulants should be filled to the exhaustion of the vacuum to ensure proper ratio of anticoagulant to blood.
- For each test requiring a frozen specimen, use a separate transport vial. This prevents compromising the specimen by thawing and refreezing the sample if the tests are routinely performed on different days. A reminder is included for applicable tests: THIS TEST REQUIRES ITS OWN FROZEN ALIQUOT.
- For random urines, a first morning specimen is preferred because it has a more uniform volume and concentration, and its lower pH helps preserve the formed elements.
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Specimen Labeling Policy
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Specimen labeling is CRITICAL for proper identification of patient specimens. ALL specimens MUST be labeled with the following information:
- Patient's FULL LEGAL name and Date of Birth are required on the tube and on the requisition and MUST match! AVOID nicknames. If using your facility's pre-printed label, please make sure the label is securely attached to the specimen.
- Collection date and time. The specimen labeling information must be identical to the patient information provided on the accompanying test requisition.
- Label all slides in pencil with the patient's full LEGAL name on the frosted end of the slide. Do not use markers or labels as they may wash off during the staining process.
- In all cases label the actual specimen, not the mailing or transport container.
- Incomplete, inaccurate, or illegible requests may be rejected.
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Blood Bank Specimen Labeling Policy
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All samples referred to Sanford Laboratories for crossmatching/compatibility testing and antibody identification must meet the standards of the AABB regarding recipient blood sample labels. The following information is REQUIRED:
- The patient's correcting spelled FULL LEGAL name and DATE OF BIRTH.
- The patient's unique identifier--this can include any of the following:
- Medical record number
- Social security number
- Blood band ID number.
- The date drawn.
All samples must be labeled in ink. A generated patient label with all required information can also be used.
Incomplete, inaccurate, or illegible requests/samples will not be accepted.
See individual test for additional protocol information.
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