Diagnostic Sample Submission Guidelines

A laboratory test is only as good as the sample submitted. Find out how veterinarians submit samples.
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A laboratory test is only as good as the sample submitted. That sample should be collected, stored, and shipped properly with appropriate paperwork for the most reliable and accurate results. Among possible samples that can be submitted to a laboratory for testing are serum, whole blood, feces, urine, swabs, washes, tissue samples, biopsies, feed, hay, water, and entire animals. The following guidelines will help get the most information from diagnostic submissions.

Serum is often required when a titer, or antibody determination, is desired. If serum is needed, allow the blood to clot, and then pour the serum into a different clean tube. Allowing the serum to sit on the clot too long can cause the red blood cells to rupture, or hemolyze. Hemolysis will interfere with many laboratory tests. Gel tubes, or serum separator tubes, are meant to aid the separation of serum from red cells following centrifugation, but are not optimal for shipping.

Tests such as complete cell counts, virus isolation, and polymerase chain reaction assays often require plasma or whole blood submissions. For these tests, blood needs to be unclotted; therefore, use tubes containing an appropriate anticoagulant and have been gently inverted five to six times after collection.

Samples should be submitted using proper biosecurity guidelines in capped, clean, leakproof, spill-proof, labeled containers. And, while a palpation sleeve would seem to be a convenient submission container (especially for fecal specimens), it is not an acceptable vehicle for samples

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