CYTOGENETICS LABORATORY

SPECIMEN REQUIREMENTS, SHIPPING AND HANDLING

SPECIMEN REQUIREMENTS

·         Amniotic Fluid:

·         20-30 cc in sterile 15 mL or 50 mL conical certrifuge tubes. (Discard first 2 cc of fluid collected.)

·         Blood: Sodium heparin (green top) tubes

·         Newborn: minimum 1-2 mL

Child/Adult: minimum 3-5 mL

·         If specimen is for hematologic malignancy, WBC count must exceed 10,000 with 10% immature cells.

·         Mix blood well and make sure tubes are not expired.

·         Bone Marrow:

·         0.5-2 cc bone marrow in bone marrow transport media or sodium heparin (green top) tubes

·         Tissue Biopsies:

·         3 mm of specimen (placenta, cord, skin) in sterile physiologic saline or in sterile tissue culture media

·         If specimen is for intrauterine fetal demise, submit a placental sample from the membrane side for isolation of chorionic villi.

SHIPPING AND HANDLING

·         Contact the laboratory to ensure proper handling (918-660-3838 or 1-800-299-7919).

·         Label each tube with the patient’s full name, date of birth or other identifier, date and time collected and phlebotomist’s initials. Universal precautions must be used during phlebotomy and packing of the specimen.

·         Complete and enclose a Cytogenetics/Biochemical Genetics Laboratory Test Requisition. Information on the requisition should include: patient name, date of birth, identifying number (chart number or social security number), requesting physician/laboratory, type of specimen and date of collection. For amniotic fluid specimens, also complete and enclose a Prenatal Diagnostic Information Form and a NTD Laboratories Requisition and Consent Form.

·         Package the specimen securely in a leakproof bag inside a rigid container to avoid breakage of glass tubes or plastic containers. The rigid container should be placed into a shipping container with enough absorbent material to prevent jostling and to absorb a spill if one occurs. Place a biohazard label on the package.

·         Transport the specimen by courier or by overnight delivery at room temperature. Do not freeze or heat the specimen.

CANCELLATION

Cancellations received at the request of the client/physician will be honored at no charge if testing has not been started. Requests received following test set-up cannot be honored; a report will be issued and a set-up fee charged. If testing has proceeded beyond a reasonable point, the cancellation cannot be honored and the total test price will be charged.

UNACCEPTABLE SPECIMENS

Some specimens cannot be analyzed because of impropr collection or improper handling in transit. Other specimens cannot be processed until patient information or clinical diagnostic information is received. Please follow the collection and transport instructions carefully. Notification of rejected or problem specimens will be made upon receipt.

TESTS REFERRED TO ANOTHER LABORTORY

A handling fee of $10.00 will be added to the shipping fee for all tests referred to another laboratory.

SHIPPING ADDRESS

Tulsa: Cytogenetics Laboratory

H. A. Chapman Institute of Medical Genetics

University of Oklahoma Schusterman Health Sciences Center

4502 E. 41^st Street

Tulsa, OK 74135-2553 Phone: 918-660-3838

Oklahoma City: Cytogenetics Laboratory

H. A. Chapman Institute of Medical Genetics

711 Stanton L. Young Blvd, #405

Oklahoma City, OK 73104-5070 Phone: 405-271-6777

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