Specimens

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Urine Samples checking for infections
  • Collect a red topped container from reception
  • Write your name, date of birth and NHS number and date of the sample collection on the container. NOTE: 3 identifiers are needed
  • Start to pass urine over the toilet but don’t collect the first urine that comes out
  • Collect the “mid-stream” of your urine in the container
  • Ensure the container is filled to the red dotted line (at the top of the label)
  • Pass the rest of your urine down the toilet as normal
  • Store your sample in the fridge if you can’t bring it to reception the same day.
Stool Samples
  • Collect a blue topped container from reception
  • Write your name, date of birth and NHS number and date of the sample collection on the container. NOTE: 3 identifiers are needed
  • Do your sample in the morning
  • Place something in the toilet to catch the sample, such as a potty or an empty plastic tub. Alternatively you could loosely place some cling over the rim of the toilet
  • If you need to pass urine, do this beforehand so it doesn’t mix with the stool
  • Pass your stool, making sure it doesn’t touch the inside of the toilet
  • Use the spatula attached to the inside of the blue container lid to take a small sample (grape-sized is fine)
  • Bring your sample to reception the same day it is collected, before 1pm (this is when they are taken to the lab)
Urine Samples checking for Protein (ACR – albumin:creatinine ratio)
  • Collect a kit from reception containing a yellow test tube (marked Urine Z), a quill (long thin drawing up tube) and a urine pot
  • Write your name, date of birth and NHS number and date of the sample collection on the test tube. NOTE: 3 identifiers are needed
  • Pass some urine into the pot
  • Pull off the lid at the tip of the yellow test tube (PULL the very end, do not unscrew the whole lid)
  • Attach the quill to the tip of the yellow test tube
  • Place the end of the quill into the urine and pull back on the plunger to draw urine up into the test tube
  • Pull the plunger all the way back until it clicks
  • Snap off the plunger and discard
  • Replace the yellow cap on end of the test tube
  • Discard the rest of the urine
  • Hand in the test tube only to reception the same day
sputum samples
  • Collect silver or white topped container from reception
  • Write your name, date of birth and NHS number and date of the sample collection on the container. NOTE: 3 identifiers are needed
  • Do the sample as soon as you wake up in the morning, before eating or drinking
  • Take three deep breaths to loosen the secretions (if you havea nebuliser you may want to use this first) and hold the air infor five seconds.
  • Take another deep breath and cough hard until some sputum comes up into your mouth then force out a deep cough and bring the sputum up into your mouth
  • Spit the sputum into the container and seal the lid
  • If you are unable to bring up much sputum on the first attempt then try again until you have enough (minimum is about the same size as your little finger nail)
  • Bring your sample to reception the same day it is collected if possible
nail samples
  • Collect a DERMAPAK 2000 kit from reception
  • Write your name, date of birth and NHS number and date of the sample collection on the kit. NOTE: 3 identifiers are needed
  • Wipe off any treatment creams, lotions, or powders from the nail
  • Use chiropody scissors or nail clippers to cut off a diseased part of nail into the central black area
  • Include the full thickness of the nail and clip as far back as comfortably possible
  • Include scrapings of debris from the area between the nail and nail bed if possible
  • Fold in the side taps and seal the pack using the self-adhesive strip
  • Keep the samples at room temperature- do not refrigerate them
skin samples
  • Collect a DERMAPAK 2000 kit from reception
  • Write your name, date of birth and NHS number and date of the sample collection on the kit. NOTE: 3 identifiers are needed
  • Clean the skin with an alcohol wipe.
  • Use a blunt blade or tweezers to remove some scale, the edge is most likely to contain viable fungus. Use a toothbrush to collect scale from an infected scalp.
  • Place this in the central black area of the dermapak.
  • Fold in the side taps and seal the pack using the self-adhesive strip
  • Keep the samples at room temperature- do not refrigerate them
Sexually transmitted infections (STI) Screening (yellow kit)
  • Collect a yellow swab kit from reception
  • Write your name, date of birth and NHS number and date of the sample collection on the test tube. NOTE: 3 identifiers are needed
  • Males – pass urine into a plain sterile container. Then pour some urine into the yellow test tube until the fluid level is between the two black lines, then seal. You do not need the swab (cotton bud) which comes in the kit, you can discard this.
  • Females – use the swab (cotton bud) in the kit to take a vaginal sample click here for instructions. Break off the swab at the black line and drop the cotton bud into the fluid in the yellow test tube, then seal.
  • Please note, for some STI screening a pink kit is also needed: take the sample in the same way.
bacterial swabs (pink kit)
  • Collect a pink swab kit from reception
  • Write your name, date of birth and NHS number and date of the sample collection on the test tube. NOTE: 3 identifiers are needed
  • Use the cotton bud to take a sample from the relevant area – only hold the plastic end, do not touch the tip
  • Remove the plastic cap from the tube taking care not to spill the liquid inside
  • Insert the swab into the tube and snap off the excess length where indicated
  • Bring your sample to reception the same day it is collected if possible