GUIDELINES FOR SPECIMEN SUBMISSION

1. Submission & Request (SSR) form (FPV/VLSU/B001) shall be entertained.

2. The SSR must be filled by submitter with all required information as indicated in the form.

3. The SSR form must be endorsed (signatured) by the submitter.  Cases submitted by UVH must be endorsed by the clinician only before processing of specimen can proceed. For laboratory customers, the SSR form shall be endorsed by the responsible person (e.g. researchers, Heads of Unit, Veterinarians)

4. For each request for laboratory services, the submitter shall submit TWO (2) completed copies (original and carbon copies) of SSR form.  The original copy of the completed SSR form must be submitted to  nthe designated laboratory together with the specimen. This original copy will be kept as a laboratory record.  The submitter should keep the carbon copy of the SSR form as evidence of specimen submission after the forms have been signed and stamped.

5. In cases where multiple laboratory services are required, the specimen submitted to each laboratory must be accompanied with one SSR form.  For example if two laboratory services are required for a particular case, one form each will be required for the two laboratories and one form for the submitter (3 forms total).

GUIDELINE TO SUBMISSION OF SPECIMEN TO BACTERIOLOGY LABORATORY

General submission guidelines

• Specimens should be as fresh as possible.

• For certain specimens, take from edge of lesion, and try to include tissue.

• Ensure the collection of specimen is done in aseptic manner.

• Collect specimens prior to antibiotic treatment.

• Submit generous portions of tissue or several millilitres of liquid.

• Maintain most specimens at refrigeration temperatures (4°C) rather than frozen en route to laboratory.

• Submit specimens in clearly labelled, watertight, sterile containers.

Milk

• Collect milk in sterile screw cap tubes or containers.

• Cool samples before submitting to the laboratory, and transported with ice packs.  Samples may also be frozen without altering recoverability of pathogens.

Urine

• Collect by taking mid-stream voided urine, by catheterisation or by cystocentesis.

Skin lesions

• Pustules.  Disinfect surface with alcohol, allow to dry.   Preferably from the margin or edges of the lesion,  either pierce with a sterile needle and absorb the contents onto a sterile swab or aspirate the contents and express either onto a sterile swab or into a sterile vial. Use a sterile swab to sample areas of superficial pyoderma. 

Tissues and Organs

• Collect as soon as possible after death. Use a heated scalpel blade to sear the surface of the organ (e.g. lung or liver) and stab insert a sterile cotton swab. Rotate the swab, remove and place into transport medium. Alternatively, submit whole tissues (approx. 4cm³) unfixed in sterile or  clean containers.

Swabs

• Submit swab in transport medium (bacteria on dry swabs dessicate rapidly).

• If the specimen is submitted to the laboratory within 3 hours, dry swabs in sterile containers are accepted.

Abscess Material

• Collect approximately 3ml of pus along with scrapings from the abscess wall if practicable and submit in a sterile container. Material from recently formed abscesses is preferred.

Blood

• Collect approximately 5 ml of blood.  Immediately inoculate into Tryptose Soy Broth and transport to the laboratory.

(This guideline partly follow the “Field Guide to Submission of Specimen” Department of Veterinary Sevices, Ministry of Agriculture, Malaysia, 2002)

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