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Specimen Transport Guidelines

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• General specimen transport guidelines
• Additional specimen transport guidelines

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GENERAL SPECIMEN TRANSPORT GUIDELINES

****If more than one colored sticker is on the specimen, this indicates a SHARED specimen — send to the Clinical Lab.

NOTE: Specimens collected at Batson Children's Hospital that can be transported through the tube system are sent to Batson Children's Hospital Laboratory for testing and/or routing to University Hospital Clinical Pathology Laboratory. See list below of specimens NOT approved for transport in the tube system:

• 24 hour urine
• Blood Cultures (glass bottles)
• Stool specimens
• Surgical specimens
• Glass (includes anaerobic glass cultures)
• Urine screw top collection containers
• Precious specimens: Spinal Fluid (any irreplaceable specimen or fluid); difficult to collect specimens; specimens collected at a specific hour

CONTACT NUMBERS:

CLINICAL LAB: 5-9777 (Collections); 4-2358 (Microbiology); 4-2368 (Chemistry); 4-2370 (Hematology)

BATSON LAB: 4-5230

SURGICAL PATHOLOGY: 4-1534

BLOOD BANK: 4-2392

Note:

Surgical Pathology After Hours:

• Surgical Pathology: If Fresh or Frozen, notify Pathology Resident on-call (UMMC Intranet — type "Contact U" in Search Field)

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ADDITIONAL SPECIMEN TRANSPORT GUIDELINES

**** If more than one colored sticker is on the specimen, this indicates a SHARED specimen—send to the Clinical Lab.

NOTE: Specimens collected at Batson Children's Hospital that can be transported through the tube system are sent to Batson Children's Hospital Laboratory for testing and/or routing to University Hospital Clinical Pathology Laboratory. See list below of specimens NOT approved for transport in the tube system:

• 24 hour urine
• Blood Cultures (glass bottles)
• Stool specimens
• Surgical specimens
• Glass (includes anaerobic glass cultures)
• Urine screw top collection containers
• Precious specimens: Spinal Fluid (any irreplaceable specimen or fluid); difficult to collect specimens; specimens collected at a specific hour

CONTACT NUMBERS:

CLINICAL LAB: 5-9777 (Collections); 4-2358 (Microbiology); 4-2368 (Chemistry); 4-2370 (Hematology)

BATSON LAB: 4-5230

BIOREPOSITORY: 4-1896

CYTOLOGY: 4-1550

SURGICAL PATHOLOGY: 4-1534

BLOOD BANK: 4-2392

JACKSON MEDICAL MALL: 5-8820 FLOW CYTOMETRY: 4-1577

HLA: 5-4514

CYTOGENETICS: 4-1903

 

After Hours/Instructions/Updates

Tissue Bank/ Biorepository

Normal Hours

7:30 am –4:30 pm (M-F): AP/Surgical Pathology lab (N208)

After Hours

5:00 pm – 7:30 am (M-F): Main OR refrigerator (E160-08)

Weekends and UMC official Holidays: Main OR refrigerator (E160-08)

Updates

-A biorepository specialist may be reached, Mon-Fri, 6:00 am-5:00 pm by phone (601-984-1896) or pager (601-929-1384)

-Biorepository specimens should be sent FRESH (no formalin) to AP/Surgical Pathology lab (N208) as quickly as possible

• The sample must be processed and frozen within 2 hrs of removal from the patient (please keep in mind specimens may take up to 1 hr to be processed after reaching the lab)
• The specimen may be sent to surgical pathology by transport services or a biorepository specialist may be contacted for specimen transport

Frozens

Normal Hours

8:00 am – 5:00 pm (M-F): AP/Surgical Pathology Lab (N208)

After Hours

5:00 pm – 8:00 am (M-F): AP/Surgical Pathology Lab (N208)***

Weekends and official UMC Holidays: AP/Surgical Pathology Lab (N208) ***

Updates:

-The AP/Surgical pathology lab door will be closed after hours (5 pm).

***For specimens requiring after hour frozen sections, orientation, or lymphoma workup, there must be communication with the On Call pathology resident (UMMC Intranet — type "Contact U" in Search Field).

***Prior to sending after hour specimens from the operating room to the AP/Surgical pathology lab, the On Call resident should be paged to minimize processing time.

-Samples sent after hours without notification will require at least 30 minutes for staff to commute to the facility.

STAT Processing

Normal and After Hours:

Please page the On Call pathology resident (UMMC Intranet — type "Contact U" in Search Field).

Updates

-All specimens deemed "STAT" require paging the On Call pathology resident during working and after hours for approval and notification.

-STAT specimens are considered urgent diagnoses that will directly alter patient care. These include all suspected Hirschsprung cases.

FRESH TISSUE/ BIOPSY/ PERMANENTS

Normal Hours

8:00am – 4:30 pm (M-F): Main OR refrigerator (E160-08) or AP/Surgical Pathology lab (N208)

After Hours

4:30 pm -8:00 am (M-F): Main OR refrigerator (E160-08)

Weekends and UMC official Holidays: Main OR refrigerator (E160-08)

FNA /Cytology

-Please sign specimens into the log and place them in the refrigerator (located inside the lobby of N018)

Specimen Drop off:

Door is open 24 hrs/day, Sun-Sat, including official UMC holidays: Cytology refrigerator (N018)

Updates

-On site adequacy is available from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm (M-F), not including UMC holidays

-Any after hour FNA should be scheduled in advanced (extension 4-1550)

-Any FNAs for suspected Lymphoma, PCP, or STAT for other reasons please page the on call pathology resident (UMMC Intranet—type "Contact U" in Search Field).

-For questions regarding cytology specimen transport, media, minimal volumes, etc., please visit the Test List page.

Cytogenetics

Normal Hours

7:00 am -5:30pm (M-F): Cytogenetics Lab (R531)

8:00 am – 12:00 pm (Saturday Only): ** Must Call (601-984-1903) due to limited staffing. Please call prior to bringing specimen to the Cytogenetics Lab (R531).

After Hours

5:30 pm – 7:00 am (M-F): Clinical Lab (S101-02) or place in Cytogenetics Lab Dropbox (R531) ONLY if room temperature specimen (peripheral blood, bone marrow, amniotic fluid)

UMC holidays: ** Must Call (601-984-1903) due to limited staffing. If no answer, specimen should be taken to Clinical Lab (S101-02).

Updates

-Tissue for cytogenetic analysis should be kept as sterile as possible and sent in RPMI medium, Hank's BSS, or other culture media. Can also send fresh tissue moistened with normal saline. Do NOT place in formalin. Please keep specimen cool if delivery is delayed.

-Transport medium can be provided by the lab if a collection is anticipated (601-984-1903).

-Fresh specimens in sterile medium/normal saline that are obtained after hours should be taken to the Clinical Lab (S101-02) and refrigerated.

-Blood samples for cytogenetic analysis should be sent in dark green top tubes (SODIUM heparin); please do NOT send light green/lithium heparin top tubes.

Flow Cytometry - Blood, Bone Marrow Aspirates/Biopsies, solid tissue

Normal Hours:

8:00am - 3:30 (M-F): Flow Cytometry Lab (R253)

After Hours:

3:30 pm - 8:00 am (M-F): Clinical Lab (S101-02)

All Weekends and UMC holidays: Clinical Lab (S101-02)

Updates

• For urgent flow cytometry specimens (i.e. acute leukemias, pediatric specimens) obtained after hours after Friday 3:30 pm, clinicians should contact On Call Pathology Resident as soon as possible to schedule a courier pickup

-If a courier pickup is not available on the weekend, specimens will be sent the following Monday

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