Specimen Rejection Criteria - The Doctors Laboratory
Specimen Rejection Criteria - The Doctors Laboratory
Specimen Rejection Criteria - The Doctors Laboratory
Sometimes the laboratory is able to rectify a situation – and although turnaround times may be
affected, it avoids having to arrange for samples to be taken again.
Samples that are received unprotected from light, when they are required to be
covered at the point of venepuncture.
Samples in incorrect containers (e.g. cervical cytology must be a ThinPrep vial; urine cytology
must be in a uricyte container).
No sample received.
Clotted/haemolysed/lipaemic/icteric samples.
Stability time has been exceeded. Stability time is test-dependent, and also refers to tests that
can only be carried out on certain days of the week.
Quality assurance
Sample contamination (e.g. being in the same bag as a leaking sample).
Department-specific
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10/13/22, 3:20 PM Specimen rejection criteria | The Doctors Laboratory
Sample Reception will not accept samples packaged with needles of any kind.
Coagulation cannot accept previously frozen samples that have thawed in transit.
Biochemistry cannot accept previously frozen samples that have thawed in transit.
Referrals cannot accept samples without three points of identification for DRP testing.
Referrals cannot accept samples that are not labelled by hand for blood group testing.
Molecular Pathology cannot accept samples for Haemophilia testing without informed
consent.
Cervical Cytology cannot accept over or under filled samples for testing.
Cervical Cytology cannot accept samples received within three months of the previous test
in order to allow epithelial cells to regenerate.
Urine cytology cannot accept delayed samples unless they have been refrigerated.
Samples deemed to be PRECIOUS (e.g. CSF, fluid, tissue, bone marrow and paediatric samples) will
not be discarded by the laboratory. Results will include a comment relating to the condition of the
sample (e.g. sample unlabelled).
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