Specimen collection

A patients guide to taking samples

Your GP or other healthcare professional may ask for a urine sample to aid diagnosis or to rule out certain health problems.  Your GP should provide specific instructions on how to collect the sample and where to deliver it to.

Urine may be used to diagnose

—Urinary tract infection

—Sexually transmitted disease

—Pregnancy

—Various metabolic conditions such as diabetes

Collecting your urine sample

You should:

Collect your urine sample in the container provided by your GP

If you cannot hand it in strait away store in fridge in a sealed plastic bag.

What is a mid-stream urine sample ( MSU)?

A mid-stream urine sample means that you don’t collect the first part of the urine that comes out. This reduces the risk of the sample being contaminated from your hands or from the skin around the urethra 9 the tube that caries the urine out of the body).

—If not already done, label the container with your name and date of birth.

—Wash your hands

—Start to urinate but don’t collect the first part of the urine that comes out.

—Collect a sample of urine (mid-stream) that comes out in the sterile container provided.

—Some types of containers need to be filled to have a minimum volume line.

—Screw the lid of the container shut.

—Wash your hands again thoroughly.

If you can’t hand your sample in within an hour you should keep it in the fridge at around 4 C in a sealed plastic bag for no longer than 24 hours. If the sample is not refridgerated, and kept at room temperature, bacteria in it may multiply and produce an incorrect result.

Different types of container for collecting urine samples. The red topped version contains a substance that stabilises bacterial growth if there is a delay in transport to the laboratory. The brown container is only used for detection of renal TB.

Stool (faeces) specimen.

Your GP or other healthcare professional may ask you for a faeces sample to aid diagnosis in various conditions affecting the bowel. The faeces may contain harmful bacteria or other substances that may affect the digestive system that can be detected in the laboratory. Your GP should provide you with a plastic sealable container and explain how to collect the sample.

A stool sample can be tested to help diagnose.

— Gastroenteritis

— Inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease

— Food poisoning.

—Bowel parasites

Collecting a stool sample

— Label the faeces container with your name and date of birth.

— Place something in the toilet to catch the stool such as a clean potty or empty plastic food container. (Note you need to bin this after use).

— Make sure the sample does not touch the inside of the toilet.

— Use a disposable spoon or spatula  to place the faeces inside the container to about one third full, replace the lid a screw securely shut.

— Put anything used to collect the sample inside a plastic bag, tie it up and place in the bin.

— Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm running water.

Try not to collect urine or toilet water during this process. Stool samples should be delivered to the GP practice or laboratory as soon as possible and should not be stored for any significant amount of time.

Sputum collection.

Sputum is the phlegm coughed up from your lungs. It is not spit or mucous from the mouth or back of the throat. You’re GP or other health care professional may ask you to produce a sputum specimen to aid diagnosis of the bacteria that may be affecting your lungs in various respiratory diseases:

—Pneumonia

—COPD exacerbations

—Bronchiectasis.

Collecting a sputum sample.

An early morning sputum (i.e. as soon as you wake up) is best, but if not possible sputum can be collected at other times of the day. You’re GP should provide a special container for this specimen collection.

— Rinse mouth out with water (not mouth wash) and remove dentures if present.

— Cough hard to bring up sputum from deep in your lungs (this may take a lot of coughing).

— From the mouth the sputum should go directly into the container provided then screw the top on securely.

— Label the container with your name and date of birth.

— Place container in sealed plastic bag.

— Deliver to GP or laboratory as soon as possible. If there is a delay, the sample can be kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Note your GP may need to take several other specimens to diagnose your respiratory condition. E.g. throat swab, urine or blood.

Vaginal swab and urine for detection of sexually transmitted disease.

Self-collected vaginal swabs, and urine collection, for chlamydia screening is not routine and would only be requested by the Sexual Health department doctors in particular circumstances.

Instructions for self-collection of these tests are provided on the chlamydia testing request form supplied by sexual health department.

Further information on any aspect of sample collection can be obtained from you GP or Walsall Manor Hospital laboratories at 01922 721172  (ext, 6481 or 7127).

Sample Requirement

Where possible use order comm. to request samples using the printed sticker to label specimen.  In addition, please handwrite DATE and TIME of collection on the specimen and the form. Where handwritten forms are used, please provide at least two patient identifying data on the sample label and three patient identifying markers on the form.

When un-dated samples are received, the date of the form will be used as the sample date. Please note that this may result in rejection of samples if the date on the form pre-dates the sample