Whittington Health Version: 2021.1 MB 129 Microbiology Department Author: Service Managers Page 1 of 189 Print Date: 27 April 2021 Authorised by: DW Issue Date: 26 April 2021 PATHOLOGY USER GUIDE Version 2021.1 Document Number : MB 129 Approved By: David Whittington 1 The master document is controlled electronically. Printed copies of this document are not controlled. Document users are responsible for ensuring printed copies are valid prior to use. Whittington Health Version: 2021.1 MB 129 Microbiology Department Author: Service Managers Page 2 of 189 Print Date: 27 April 2021 Authorised by: DW Issue Date: 26 April 2021 CONTENTS GENERAL INFORMATION..................................................................................................................... 5 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 5 ADDRESS ........................................................................................................................................... 5 LOCATION .......................................................................................................................................... 5 GENERAL ENQUIRIES ...................................................................................................................... 5 OPERATIONAL PATHOLOGY LABORATORY MANAGER ............................................................... 6 SERVICE AVAILABILITY .................................................................................................................... 6 PHLEBOTOMY SERVICE ................................................................................................................... 6 TESTS AND SAMPLES ........................................................................................................................ 7 PERSONS MAKING REQUESTS ....................................................................................................... 7 CONSENT ........................................................................................................................................... 8 REQUEST FORMS ............................................................................................................................. 8 General ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 Completion of the Request Form .................................................................................................... 8 SAMPLE LABELLING ......................................................................................................................... 9 General ……………………………………………………………………………………………………9 Blood Transfusion ......................................................................................................................... 10 SPECIMEN TRANSPORT TO THE LABORATORY ......................................................................... 10 Packaging and Sending Samples to the Laboratory .................................................................... 10 Ward and Clinic Collection Times ................................................................................................. 10 Pneumatic Air Tube System ......................................................................................................... 11 Urgent Requests during Routine Working Hours ......................................................................... 12 Unstable Analytes ......................................................................................................................... 12 Out-of Hours Specimen Transport ................................................................................................ 12 GP Transport ................................................................................................................................ 12 RESULTS AVAILABILITY ................................................................................................................. 13 LABORATORY COMPUTER ............................................................................................................ 13 RESULTS INTERPRETATION ......................................................................................................... 13 REFERENCE RANGES .................................................................................................................... 14 MEASUREMENT UNCERTAINTY .................................................................................................... 14 DOWNTIME ...................................................................................................................................... 14 COMPLAINTS ................................................................................................................................... 14 Complaints by Requesters of Tests .............................................................................................. 14 Complaints by Patients ................................................................................................................. 15 PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY .......................................................................................................... 15 BLOOD SCIENCES .............................................................................................................................. 16 BIOCHEMISTRY ............................................................................................................................... 16 TELEPHONE NUMBERS ............................................................................................................. 16 ENQUIRIES and CLINICAL ADVICE ........................................................................................... 16 URGENT REQUESTS .................................................................................................................. 16 REFERRED TESTS...................................................................................................................... 16 ON-CALL SERVICE...................................................................................................................... 17 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................................... 17 ALERT / CRITICAL ACTION LIMITS ........................................................................................................ 17 TOXICOLOGY .............................................................................................................................. 18 THERAPEUTIC DRUGS .............................................................................................................. 19 CARDIAC MARKERS ................................................................................................................... 19 LIVER FUNCTION TESTS ........................................................................................................... 19 2 The master document is controlled electronically. Printed copies of this document are not controlled. Document users are responsible for ensuring printed copies are valid prior to use. Whittington Health Version: 2021.1 MB 129 Microbiology Department Author: Service Managers Page 3 of 189 Print Date: 27 April 2021 Authorised by: DW Issue Date: 26 April 2021 THYROID FUNCTION TESTS ..................................................................................................... 19 LIPIDS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………19 REJECTED REQUESTS .............................................................................................................. 19 BIOCHEMISTRY TIME LIMITS FOR REQUESTING ADDITIONAL TESTS ............................... 20 ARTEFACTS ................................................................................................................................. 22 FORMULAE .................................................................................................................................. 23 BIOCHEMISTRY TEST GUIDE .................................................................................................... 23 BIOCHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT REFERENCE LABORATORIES ............................................ 47 HAEMATOLOGY .............................................................................................................................. 48 TELEPHONE NUMBERS ............................................................................................................. 48 URGENT REQUESTS .................................................................................................................. 48 ON-CALL SERVICE...................................................................................................................... 48 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................................... 49 HAEMOGLOBINOPATHY SERVICE ........................................................................................... 49 TOP TEN HAEMATOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS .................................................................... 49 HAEMATOLOGY TIME LIMITS FOR REQUESTING ADD ON TESTS ...................................... 52 FACTORS THAT CAN AFFECT SAMPLE INTEGRITY............................................................... 53 HAEMATOLOGY TEST GUIDE ................................................................................................... 53 TEST REPERTOIRE ...................................................................................................................