Microbiology
MICROBIOLOGY AT UNILABS UK
A comprehensive clinical service is available including bacteriology, parasitology, molecular biology and mycology. We also offer a variety of referral tests if not performed in house. Clinical advice and interpretation of results is available from our Consultant in infection. Please contact us on 020 7121 6340 for more information and for details of factors affecting test performance and interpretation.
COMPLETION OF REQUEST FORM AND SPECIMEN ID
In order for us to provide you with a quality service, it is important that we receive a completed request form including:
- Patient’s forename and surname
- Date of birth
- Patient sex
- Hospital number (if known)
- Sample collection time and date
- Tests requested
- Client Code/information
- Type of sample and, if appropriate, anatomical site (Specimen source may be particularly important for microbiology specimens)
- Clinical information relevant to the request
- Requesting clinician name and, if appropriate, contact number
Self-adhesive address labels will be accepted on request forms, as long as they include the above information.
The sample label should contain at least 2 unique identifiers (ideally 3), which are:-
- Patient full name (Surname and Forename); and
- Date of Birth and/or Hospital number.
TEST INFORMATION
It is essential that full clinical details are provided to allow meaningful interpretation of results. If the request form is not completed, we may not be able to proceed with the request. Ensure all mandatory fields on the form are completed.
RELEVANT CLINICAL INFORMATION TO INCLUDE
- diagnosis and/or symptoms
- the anatomical site from which the specimen was collected
- all antimicrobial therapy (current or intended)
- details of any recent foreign travel
- date of onset and duration of illness (particularly for serology)
- any relevant epidemiological information e.g. occupation and/or high risk exposure and/or travel history
REJECTION
Specimens may not be suitable for testing if they are inadequately labelled or if they have leaked or been contaminated or if they are too old. In these circumstances every effort will be made to inform the requesting clinician before discarding the sample. For "precious" samples such as CSF, analysis will be carried out at the discretion of the laboratory manager and the report annotated with a comment.
SPECIMEN COLLECTION
To ensure the best results are achieved, please ensure appropriate specimens are in the correct containers and delivered to the laboratory promptly and that they include all relevant clinical information of the request form.
General guidelines on specimen collection are:
- Do not send specimens in non-sterile containers
- When appropriate, specimens should be obtained before antimicrobial agents have been administered
- An adequate quantity of the material should be obtained for complete examination. Always send pus rather than a swab of the pus site
- The specimen taken should be representative of the disease process
- Care must be taken to avoid contamination of the specimen by micro-organisms normally found on the skin and mucus membranes.
- Sterile equipment and aseptic technique must be used for collecting specimens, particularly those from normally sterile sites
- Material must be transported promptly to the laboratory. Fastidious organisms may not survive prolonged storage or may be overgrown by less fastidious organisms before culturing.
Where multiple samples for the same patient have been collected, the anatomical site from which each sample was collected must be labelled on the sample container.
Please contact the laboratory if advice is required on the best specimen to take or on the techniques that should be employed to collect the specimen.