Beechdale Health Centre
Specimen Handling Protocol
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This document and the information contained therein is the property of Beechdale Health
Centre.
This document contains information that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from
disclosure. It must not be used by, or its contents reproduced or otherwise copied or disclosed
without the prior consent in writing from Beechdale Health Centre.
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C.
JANE SMITH
Beechdale Health Centre
SH
1
JANE SMITH
Document Revision and Approval History
Version
1
Doc. Ref –
Date
12.03.2013
Version –
Version Created By:
Version Approved By:
JANE SMITH
JANE SMITH
Filename: Specimen Handling Protocol
Comments
All staff to read.
Page 1 of 5
Introduction
A specimen is defined as:
“Any bodily substance taken from a person for the purpose of analysis, such as blood or urine”.
Specimens can therefore pose a risk to all staff handling them, from Reception Staff to
Laboratory Staff.
To minimise these risks, the Practice will ensure that staff who handle specimens will be
appropriately trained.
Collection and Storage
For accurate results to be obtained, specimens should be received by the laboratory within 24
hours maximum, as after this period, the environmental organisms (such as e.coli) will form and
flourish, whilst the weaker organisms (e.g. anaerobes), will die off. Consequently a false result
will be obtained.
Request Forms and Containers
Specimens sent to the laboratory often cause concern for laboratory staff by either being sent in
the incorrect packaging, or by not including the correct information.
The patient / service users’ details must be placed on both the specimen container and the
specimen request form.
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The specimen must be placed in a plastic bag with the request form in the separate pouch
which is attached.
Specimen containers should include the patient/service users' name, date of birth and or NHS
Number.
The request for analysis form must include:
 Patient / service users' name date of birth and / or NHS number;
 Patient / service user’s GP and requesting Practitioner;
 The location, to enable correct reporting of results;
 Relevant clinical details, including planned or previous antibiotic therapy, date of onset of
symptoms and specimen type;
 Date and time the specimen was taken.
Failure to provide this information may result in specimens not being processed, delay specimen
processing or lead to inappropriate tests being performed.
Specimens known or suspected to contain high risk pathogens, (e.g. blood borne viruses,
tuberculosis, salmonella typhi), should be marked ‘Risk of Infection’ using a biohazard sticker.
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Patient / Service User Information
Within the Practice environment patient / service users need to be advised on appropriate
specimen collection and should always be given the appropriate container.
Ideally, a designated specimen return area should be available, such as a plastic box that can be
easily cleaned in case of spillage or contamination.
The patient / service user should be encouraged to place the specimen in the container, or
sample bag to reduce potential staff contact; leaking and broken specimens should be placed
into the clinical waste system and any spillage cleaned up promptly.
Specimens must not be stored near food or drink.
Hand Alcohol Gel will be available for staff at all times and must be utilised after each sample
collection taken, to avoid infection.
Blood
All samples of blood are to be in the approved sample tubes provided, which are sealed by a top.
Should leakage of blood occur, due to imperfections in the bottle or incorrect fitting of the top,
the sample must not be transported out of the Practice in the container.
All sample tubes containing blood are to be inserted into an approved plastic bag, which is sealed
to minimise the risk of contamination of personnel, should leakage occur.
If there is leakage or a spillage, subsequent action will depend on its extent.
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If the leak is contained within the plastic bag, the bag is not to be opened and is to be
inserted within another plastic bag, which is then sealed.
A suitable person (doctor / nurse) is to be informed when a leak occurs and will decide
whether to dispose of the sample, or to transfer the remains of the sample into another
bottle.
Such a transfer of blood must only be undertaken when the risk of contamination of
personnel is minimal and when gloves are used; otherwise the sample is to be disposed of as
above in a plastic bag and inserted into the sharps box.
If the leak is not contained within the bag and therefore contaminates either the outside of
the bag or external objects, the following action is to be taken:
 Avoid any further contamination by containing the sample within another plastic bag - if
possible without undoing the bag. Tighten the top of the tube as this may be loose.
 Dispose of the sample within an approved sharps box.
 Ensure that hands are washed thoroughly with hot water and / or alcohol gel or soap.
Any cut or open wound that comes into contact with the patient's blood must be
thoroughly washed to ensure that none of the patient's blood remains in contact with the
wound.
 Any contaminated objects should be cleaned and disinfected.
All blood should be treated as high risk and universal precautions applied.
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Urine
Although Urine, whether non-infected or infected, poses less of a risk than blood, sensible
precautions should still be taken to avoid contamination of personnel or their clothing.
Gloves should be worn when handling urine containers as it is impossible to tell whether or not
the container is contaminated with blood or faeces.
Urine Samples in Sealed Containers
Samples of urine in sealed containers should pose no health risk, provided that the bottle is
adequately sealed and no urine contaminates the outside of the bottle.
Pregnancy tests and dipstick testing make necessary the opening of urine bottles and exposure of
personnel to urine. Gloves are always to be worn whilst testing urine and hands must always be
washed after handling and testing urine.
Disposal of Urine
Urine is to be disposed of down the sluice or toilet. Under no circumstances may it to be
disposed of down a sink.
Disposal of Urine Containers
Urine containers are disposable and are to be used once only. Urine bottles are to be emptied
when analysis is complete and the bottle resealed and disposed of in the sharps bin.
Disposal of Dipsticks
Dipsticks should be disposed of in a clinical waste bag.
Faeces
Faeces pose a risk to medical personnel. Through faeces, a number of diseases are transmitted
that can be serious (though they are rarely as serious as blood diseases). It is important to handle
faeces specimens correctly to avoid the risk of disease.
Faeces Samples
Patients / Service Users must provide their faeces sample(s) inside a specimen pot - No other
container is acceptable.
Before defecation, the Patient / Service User should label their specimen container with their
name, date of birth and date and time of production.
The specimen must then be placed inside a specimen pot and sealed by the Patient.
The Patient will be advised to wash their hands thoroughly after defecation, but before touching
the specimen pot, and again after inserting the specimen pot into the bag.
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Microbiological Swabs
Because swabs are taken of many infected areas of the body to assess the cause of the infection,
a swab by definition therefore contains an unknown hazard.
Provided the swab is not removed from the transport medium, no risk of transmission of
infection exists, unless there has been contamination of the outside of the container.
The following guidelines are to be implemented:
 The top of the bottle must be sealed adequately before insertion into a sealed plastic hazard
bag.
 The form that accompanies the swab is to be placed in the appropriate pocket of the bag and
not in the same compartment as the swab.
 In the event of the top becoming loose and parting from the container whilst in the bag, the
top is to be re-sealed either through the bag, or by opening the bag.
 The transport medium is solid and unlikely to leak out of the bag. However, in the unlikely
event of such an occurrence, it has to be assumed that microbiological material has also
leaked. Therefore the specimen is to be disposed of and re-taken.
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