1. The document outlines various protocols for collecting and handling specimens for diagnostic testing in pathology. It discusses appropriate samples, containers, transport conditions, and preservation methods for urine, CSF, fluids, sputum, stool, semen, and blood samples.
2. Guidelines are provided for venous blood collection including equipment, anticoagulants used, and proper labelling and transport of samples.
3. An overview is also given of histopathology specimen handling, blood banking techniques including blood donation and components, and cross matching procedures.
Protocols in diagnosticservices
in Pathology
Dr E Kiran Kumar
Prof and Head
Dept of Pathology
GVP Medical college
Visakhapatnam
2.
Urine analysis
• 1.A single specimen – first morning voiding
sample, random sample, post-prandial
sample.
• First morning sample – routine examn, fasting
glucose, proteins, microscopic analysis for
cellular elements, pregnancy test,
bacteriological analysis, etc
• Random sample – for routine urine examn.
3.
• Post prandialurine sample – for estimation of
glucose, to monitor insulin therapy in DM or
for urobilinogen estimation.
2. 24 hour specimen – First urine in morning is
discarded. Then all the urine for 24 hours is
collected along with next day first morning
urine, in a clean bottle of 2 litre capacity with
a cap. Preserved at 4-6 C. – For quantitative
estimation of proteins and hormones.
4.
• Midstream specimen– initial half of urine is
voided and then a part of urine is collected in a
bottle. Initial half flushes out contaminating cells
and microbes from urethra and perineum. Rest of
the stream is from urinary bladder.
• Clean-catch specimen – For bacteriological
culture.
• Urine sample must be tested in lab within 2hrs of
collection to get the correct results.
5.
• Refrigeration at4-6 C is the best general
method of preservation upto 8 hours.
• Chemical preservatives are HCl, Toluene, Boric
acid, thymol and formalin – for 24hr urine
sample.
6.
CSF examination
• Spinalor Lumbar puncture is done between
L3/L4 or L4/L5 lumbar vertebrae, and CSF
obtained from subarachnoid space. To prevent
injury to spinal cord which ends at about T12.
• Site is disinfected thoroughly with povidone
iodine and sterile LP or spinal needle is used
of 22G size. CSF is collected in sterile plain
tubes- for chemistry, microbiology,
hematology, cytology. Total 3-5 ml collected.
Pleural/peritoneal fluids
• Pleuralfluid collected by inserting needle in chest wall –
thoracocentesis.
• Heparinised tubes can be used to prevent clotting . EDTA
anticoagulant is used for cell counts, and thoroughly mixed.
• Peritoneal fluid – by puncture of peritoneal cavity per
abdomen – abdominal paracentesis. Hollow needle
inserted through abdominal wall, usually left lower
quadrant of abdomen below the border of shifting dullness
– into peritoneal cavity and 20-50ml fluid drawn under
aseptic conditions.
• 100ml collected for cytology studies to obtain sufficient cell
yield. EDTA used for cell counts.
9.
Sputum examination
• Collectedin the morning, soon after
awakening, and before taking any mouthwash
or food.
• Collected in clean, dry, wide-mouthed 25ml
capacity container with securely fitting screw
cap. Deep breath 2-3times , coughs deeply,
and then spits into container. 2-5ml sputum
collected. Only saliva is not acceptable.
10.
Stool examination
• Randomsample of 4ml collected in clean, dry
container with tightly fitting lid and
transported soon to lab. Parasites detected in
immediate examn. 10% formalin fixative used
for preservation of eggs, larvae or cysts, if
examn is delayed.
•
11.
Semen analysis
• Collectedafter about 3 days of sexual abstinence.
Obtained by masturbation, collected in clean, dry,
sterile, leak proof and wide-mouthed plastic
container.
• Brought to lab within 1 hour of collection. Entire
ejaculate is collected. During transport, kept close
to body temp or ideally, collected near the testing
site. Two samples examined , 2-3 weeks apart for
better interpretation of results.
12.
Hematological samples
• Skinpuncture – commonly used in infants and
small children, if the reqd amount of blood is
small – for cell counts, Hb estmn, pcv, blood films,
etc. – It is called capillary blood – actually, a
mixture of blood from capillaries, arterioles,
venules, with some tissue fluid.
• In adults – blood obtained from side of ring or
middle finger distal digit or from ear lobe. In
infants – from lateral or medial aspect of plantar
surface of heel or great toe.
13.
• Skin puncturesite cleansed with 70% ethanol.
After dryting, puncture is made with sterile dry
disposable lancet free flow of blood.
• First drop of blood is wiped away with sterile, dry
cotton since it has tissue fluid. Then few drops
are collected. Excess squeezing is avoided since it
will dilute the blood with tissue fluid.
• After collection, piece of sterile cotton is pressed
over puncture site till bleeding stops.
14.
• Compared tovenipuncture blood, skin
puncture blood has slightly higher Hb, PCV
and RBC counts. Platelets counts are lower,
since they adhere to puncture site.
• Blood not collected from cold, cyanosed skin,
since false elevation of Hb, RBC/WBC counts
occurs.
15.
Venous blood collection
•Ideal for many tests, and when more blood reqd.
Anticoagulated venous blood is obtained.
• Best obtained from veins of antecubital fossa. A
rubber torniquet is applied to upper arm, not too
tight and kept for maxm of 2mins. Patient asked
to make a fist, to make the veins more prominent
and palpable.
• Venepuncture site is cleansed with 70% ethanol
and allowed to dry.
16.
• Selected veinis anchored by compressing and
pulling the soft tissues below the puncture site
with left hand.
• Sterile, disposable needles and syringes are used.
19-21G needle in adults and 23G needle in
children.
• While puncturing, bevel of needle is kept up
along the direction of vein, and blood withdrawn
slowly with syringe, since fast withdrawl can
cause hemolysis and collapse of the vein.
17.
• Torniquet isreleased as soon as the blood begins
to flow into the syringe. After collection, patient
asked to open his fist. Needle withdrawn from
the vein and sterile cotton guaze is pressed over
the puncture site.
• Patient is asked to press the guaze over the site
till bleeding stops. Needle is detached from
syringe and blood discharged into tube containing
reqd anticoagulant, since whole blood is reqd for
hematological tests.
18.
• If bloodis discharged through needle, hemolysis
can occur. Containers are usually disposable
plastic bottles with caps and flat bottom.
• Blood is thoroughly mixed with anticoagulant in
container by gently inverting the container
serveral times. Vigorous shaking is not done since
it causes frothing and hemolysis, and sample
becomes unfit for testing.
• Disposable syringes are placed in puncture-proof
containers for proper disposal. Recapping of
needle by hand may cause needle stick injury.
19.
• Container islabelled. Time of collection
should be noted on the label, and sent to lab
soon with properly filled requistion form with
all clinical details and name of tests and
patient details.
• Precautions – Blood never collected from
intravenous line since it will dilute the blood
sample.
20.
• EDTA blood– for Hb, pcv, cell counts, blood films,
sickling test, reticulocyte count, Hb
electrophoresis. – 1.5mg/ml of blood is used.
Excess EDTA causes damages to red/white cells,
decr pcv, incr mchc, etc.
• Heparinised blood – 15U/ml - used for osmotic
fragility test, immunophenotyping.
• Sodium citrate/trisodium citrate -
0.109mg/ml(1:9) - used for coagulation studies,
ESR estimation by westergren method (1:4).
21.
• Double oxalateor wintrobe mixture – for
routine tests and esp for ESR by wintrobe
method. - 3:2 ratio of ammonium oxalate and
potassium oxalate.
22.
Blood banking techniques
•Whole blood donation – 350ml of whole
blood in anticoagulant solution.
• Blood donor – 18-60yrs.
• 3 months interval between two successive
donations
• Wt 45kgs. Preg and lactating mothers , upto
1yr postpartum cannot be donors
• HIV patients, viral hepatitis(HBV, HCV) not
accepted.
23.
Cross matching/ compatibilitytesting
To avoid hemolytic transfusion reactions in the
recipient.
Major crossmatch – testing recipient’s serum
against donor’s red cells.
Crossmatching test not reqd for transfusion of
platelets or FFP. But FFP should be ABO
compatible.
24.
Blood components
• Wholeblood with CPDA anticoagulant – shelf
life is 35days. – platelets are not effective,
factor V and VIII are not present. Transfusion
of whole blood – within 30mins of removal
from refrigerator, and should be complete
within 4hrs of starting. One unit rises Hb by
1gm% or haematocrit by 3%.
• Packed red cells – in chronic severe anemias,
severe anemia with CCF, anemia in elderly.
25.
• Platelet concentrate– stored at 20-24C with
continuous agitation, in a device called platelet
agitator. Shelf life is 5days.
• One unit of platelet concentrate raises the
platelet count in recipient by 5000microlitre.
• Fresh frozen plasma – prepared from whole
blood within 6hrs of collection, since labile
coagulation factors are lost after this time.
• After plasma is separated, it is rapidly frozen at -
20C. FFP has all coagulation factors.
26.
• FFP canbe stored for 1yr at -25C – Thawed
between 30-37C and stored at 2-6C , when reqd
for transfusion. Should be transfused within 2hrs
of thawing, since labile coagulation factors will
rapidly deteriorate.
• Cryoprecipitate – prepared from plasma which is
freshly separated, by rapidly freezing at -20C and
thawing slowly at 4-6C. Again refrozen at -20C for
1yr shelflife. Contains FVIII, vWF, fibrinogen.
27.
Histopathology
• Tissue samplesor surgical specimens are kept
immediately in 10% formalin, which should
completely immerse the tissue, which acts as
a fixative, orelse, autolysis of tissue, and unfit
for tissue processing and examination.