12 Specimen Acceptance/Separation/Labeling/Storage

Specimen Acceptance/Separation/Labeling/Storage

Principle

Evaluation of the specimen by acceptance criteria, accessioning/labeling, centrifugation, separation, and storage are critical for accurate results and to ensure transfusion safety.

Procedure

Specimen acceptance criteria review- all samples.

All of the following information must be legible and match between request form and specimen:

1. Full patient name
2. Health Card Number (HCN)/Hospital/Medical record (identification number)
3. Date of Birth
4. Date/Time drawn
5. Initials or signature of phlebotomist(s).

If the specimen label is illegible, any information (1-5 above) is missing or the information on the sample label does not match the request form and the specimen, the discrepancies or errors must be resolved or a new specimen is to be collected.

In student labs: If the specimen and requisition information do NOT match, the student will write a note on the bottom of the requisition indicating which piece of information does not match and that a NEW specimen and requisition were received from the floor. Students will sign, date and time this incident but will continue to use the specimen and requisition for their lab.

Specimen Centrifugation/Separation/Labeling

1. Centrifuge specimens for 10 minutes in a centrifuge designated for sample separation.
2. Attach to a clean 12 mm tube, a label with the following information:
   1. Full patient name
   2. Hospital/Medical record/Medicare/Health Card number (identification number)
   3. Date
   4. Unique transfusion number-this number should be noted on the red cell tube, plasma tube, requisition and be on all records of testing for that hospital visit. In student labs this blood bank identification number is NOT written on student sample tubes.
3. Carefully remove the stopper from the tube and pipette the serum/plasma into the appropriately labeled tube.
4. When testing is complete, cover the red cell and serum with snap on stopper.

Specimen Storage

1. Specimens are stored together in the fridge at 1 to 6°C, in designated, dated racks for the day.
2. Specimens are stored for a minimum of 7 days after transfusion.