Because of the potential danger of needle punctures and centrifugation requirements, Specimen Control does not accept specimens in syringes. If a sample is drawn using a syringe, it should be transferred to a Vacutainer® or Microtainer® tube before transporting to the laboratory for all Clinical Hematology, Clinical Chemistry, or Clinical Virology specimens.

Exceptions to this general policy are listed below:

Critical Care Laboratory (5802 JPP) will accept specimens in lyophilized, heparin syringes without needles. Before transporting to laboratory, the syringe stopper, enclosed in the blood gas kit, should be placed securely on the tip of the syringe after the air has been evacuated. The specimens should be delivered on ice to 5802 JPP; transport personnel do NOT pick up these specimens. However, carboxyhemolglobin and methemoglobin in Vacutainer® tubes can be picked up by transport personnel.

Clinical Microbiology (6004 GH) will accept anaerobic aspirates, sterile body fluids, and suprapubic urines in capped syringes without needle. Deliver to Clinical Microbiology.

Cytopathology (5222 RCP) Transport personnel do NOT pick up urine, spinals, STAT specimens, opportunistic infection specimens or effusion (peritoneal, pleural, or pericardial) specimens. Transport personnel do NOT pick up Cytopathology specimens in syringes. Delay in transport will cause cellular degeneration and it is preferable that a team/ward member delivers the specimen to the laboratory (5222 RCP) as soon as possible.