Protecting Specimen Integrity
Course Objectives
- Evaluate specimen suitability using identification, collection, and handling requirements.
- Apply processing, storage, and transport practices that preserve specimen integrity.
- Determine appropriate actions when specimen problems require clarification, documentation, or recollection.
Course Content
Course Creator: Jayne Vanderstelt
Total CE Hours: 1 Credit Hour
Pace Course #: 586-3101-26
Outline:
1. Introduction
- Course objectives
2. The Clinical Laboratory and Your Role
- Laboratory departments and processing priorities
- Hematology and cellular specimen preservation
- Coagulation specimen requirements
- Chemistry specimen preparation
- Blood bank identification and traceability
- Serology and immunology
- Microbiology specimen handling
- Knowledge Application: Enough Blood to Test?
3. Understanding Orders and Test Requirements
- Panels and profiles
- Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP)
- Lipid panel preparation and handling
4. Requisitions and Specimen Traceability
- Specimen documentation and handoff
- Barcode verification and identification
5. Receiving and Assessing Specimens
- Initial specimen receipt and inspection
- Specimen volume and container suitability
- Mixing and clot assessment
- Hemolysis, lipemia, and icterus
- Knowledge Application: Can the Delay Be Corrected?
6. Preparing Blood Specimens for Testing
- Whole blood, serum, and plasma
- Centrifugation principles
- Rotor types and processing conditions
- Safe centrifuge loading and balancing
- Equipment checks and processing verification
- Post-centrifugation assessment
- Aliquoting and specimen identification
- Storage requirements
- Specimen transport
- Documentation of handling deviations
- Rejection and recollection procedures
- Knowledge Application: Which Patient's Aliquot?
- Knowledge Application: Ready for the Couriers
7. Course Conclusion
- Key takeaways
References:
1. Mayo Clinic Laboratories. (2019, October 14). Specimen collection and preparation guide. https://www.mayocliniclabs.com/it-mmfiles/specimen-prep-guide.pdf
2. Mayo Clinic Laboratories. (n.d.). Complete blood cell count (CBC) with differential, blood. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://www.mayocliniclabs.com/test-catalog/overview/9109
3. BD. (n.d.). BD Vacutainer SST tubes—367977. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://www.bd.com/en-us/products-and-solutions/products/product-page.367977
4. Labcorp. (n.d.). Blood specimens: Coagulation. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://www.labcorp.com/test-menu/resources/blood-specimens-coagulation
5. International Society of Blood Transfusion. (n.d.). 2. Pre-transfusion. https://www.isbtweb.org/communities/transfusion-practitioners/essentials-of-blood-transfusion-teaching/2-pre-transfusion.html
6. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). Autoimmune diseases. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/autoimmunediseases.html
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026, March 31). Collect adult blood culture sets. https://www.cdc.gov/lab-quality/php/preventing-adult-blood-culture-contamination/collect.html
8. Cleveland Clinic. (2024, July 3). Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22058-comprehensive-metabolic-panel-cm
9. Ho, C. K. M., Chen, C., Setoh, J. W. S., Yap, W. W. T., & Hawkins, R. C. W. (2021). Optimization of hemolysis, icterus and lipemia interference thresholds for 35 clinical chemistry assays. Practical Laboratory Medicine, 25, Article e00232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plabm.2021.e00232
10. Mayo Clinic Laboratories. (n.d.). Lipid panel, serum. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://www.mayocliniclabs.com/test-catalog/overview/616696
11. Eppendorf. (n.d.). Basics in centrifugation: Calculating relative centrifugal force and selecting a centrifuge and rotors. https://www.eppendorf.com/gb-en/lab-academy/life-science/cell-biology/basics-in-centrifugation/
12. Eppendorf. (2021, June). Eppendorf rotors: Instructions for use. https://www.eppendorf.com/product-media/doc/en/053684_Supplement-sheet/Eppendorf_Centrifugation_Instructions-use_Eppendorf-Rotors.pdf
13. Eppendorf. (n.d.). Centrifuge safety. https://www.eppendorf.com/nz-en/lab-academy/life-science/cell-biology/centrifuge-safety/
14. Eppendorf. (2018, May). Centrifuge 5424 R: Operating manual. https://www.eppendorf.com/product-media/doc/en/330723/Centrifugation_Operating-manual_Centrifuge-5424-R.pdf
