Specimen Transportation, Handling, and Processing Practice Flashcards

Flashcards covering specimen transport principles, special handling requirements (temperature and light), legal/forensic protocols, and laboratory processing techniques based on the lecture notes.

Pneumatic tube systems

Transportation devices that move specimens using a vacuum, similar to bank drive-through systems.

Stat Tests

Tests ordered to be performed immediately, with results usually expected within $45$ minutes to $1$ hour of the order.

CLSI separation standard

The recommendation that a limit of $2$ hours be maintained between collection and the separation of serum or plasma by centrifugation.

Primary container

The original specimen tube or plastic screw-cap transfer tube used during collection or transport.

Secondary container

A watertight vessel, such as a Ziploc bag or plastic canister, used to hold the primary container during shipping.

Laboratory Information System (LIS)

The computer system used by phlebotomists to enter collection data and by couriers to track specimen pickup and drop-off.

Cold agglutinins

Antibodies that react with red blood cells at temperatures lower than body temperature, specifically requiring transport at $98.6^{\text{o}}F \text{ (}37^{\text{o}}C\text{)}$.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae

The organism responsible for atypical pneumonia that causes the production of autoantibodies requiring warm specimen handling.

Ice slurry

A mixture of crushed ice and water used to chill specimens such as ammonia, lactic acid, and arterial blood gases during transit.

Light-sensitive specimens

Substances like bilirubin and carotene that break down when exposed to light and must be wrapped in foil or placed in amber containers.

Neonatal bilirubin testing

A procedure where ultraviolet lights must be turned OFF during blood collection to prevent the destruction of the analyte in the specimen.

Chain of custody

A legal procedure for correctly identifying a specimen and ensuring it remains unbroken and untampered from collection to final disposition.

Assault and battery

The legal charge a phlebotomist may face if they collect a blood alcohol specimen without proper written consent or a court order.

Green surgical soap

An example of a non-alcoholic disinfectant used to clean the venipuncture site for blood alcohol testing.

Toxicology

The scientific study of poisons, drugs, and medications, including the detection of trace elements like aluminum, lead, and mercury.

Peak and trough levels

The highest and lowest concentrations of a medication in the patient's system, determined via toxicology testing.

Lactic acid

An analyte formed during carbohydrate metabolism that must be collected without a tourniquet (or with a rest period of $2$ minutes) and transported in an ice slurry.

Sodium fluoride tube

A gray-topped tube used for lactic acid specimens to minimize the effects of glycolysis.

Discard tube

A non-additive tube collected first when using a butterfly needle for coagulation tests to purge air from the tubing.

Serum

The liquid portion of blood obtained from tubes without anticoagulants, such as red-topped or gold-topped tubes.

Plasma

The liquid portion of blood obtained from tubes containing anticoagulants, such as blue, lavender, or green-topped tubes.

Centrifugation

The process of spinning down or separating the cells from the liquid portion of the blood.

Aliquoting

The process of dividing or transferring a portion of a specimen into one or more separate containers.

Relative Centrifugal Force (RCF)

The force generated by a centrifuge, determined by the speed of rotation ($\text{RPM}$) and the radius of the rotor head.

Standard centrifugation parameters

The typical requirement for most specimens to be spun at $1000$ to $3000 \text{ RPM}$ for $15$ minutes.

Aerosols

Tiny droplets of moisture and particles that can contain viruses and are released when specimen tube stoppers are removed.

Hemolysis

The destruction of red blood cells which releases hemoglobin and components like potassium into the serum or plasma, causing a reddish discoloration.

Quantity Not Sufficient (QNS)

A reason for specimen rejection when there is an incomplete collection or an improper additive-to-blood ratio.

Delta Checks

A quality control process where laboratory personnel compare current test results with a patient's previous results to detect errors.

Icterus

A dark yellow to greenish-yellow discoloration of plasma or serum caused by increased bilirubin levels.

Lipemia

A cloudy or milky appearance of plasma or serum caused by an abnormal amount of fats, which can interfere with hemoglobin testing.