Chapter 20: Diagnostic investigations
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Post‐procedural considerations
Immediate care
Clinical waste
It is essential that all clinical waste is disposed of appropriately. This ensures that healthcare activities do not go on to pose further infection risks and that waste is securely managed. There are various regulatory regimes that pertain to the destruction of healthcare waste, which include environment and waste, controlled drugs, infection control, health and safety and transport. Specialist disposal of cytotoxic and radioactive waste must also be considered. Due to variation in product availability and local waste arrangements it is important to follow local policy and guidelines (DH [35]).
Transporting specimens
An awareness of the type of organism being investigated and its growth requirements gives the healthcare professional an insight into the correct collection, storage and transportation methods. Delays in transporting a specimen to the laboratory can compromise the specimen's integrity, leading to false‐negative or ‐positive results, because the sample is no longer representative of the disease process (Higgins [65]). If delays are anticipated, samples need to be stored appropriately, depending on the nature of the specimen, until they can be processed. This could be in a specimen fridge, freezer or another storage unit (HSE [68], WHO [171]).
Documentation
Labelling specimens
Prompt specimen analysis is only possible if specimens and their accompanying request forms are sent with specific, accurate and complete patient information. Incorrectly labelled or unlabelled specimens will be discarded (HSE [68], NHS Pathology [101]).
Samples should include the following information:
