Microboiology
Urines
Section titled “Urines”Microbiology Urines are received in two forms, as a Red Top (Boric Acid) sample and also can be processed in a White Top container also. Sample stability for Red Top urine is up to 4 days, for White Top urines it’s 24 hours
Requirements for processing Urines, if the sample received is damaged, empty or doesn’t have the form associated with it, write on the lid of the sample “R” to reject it. If it’s being rejected with the correct form write the details for the rejection on the form also. If the sample is from an ANC ward or Maternity ward then write “A” on the lid of the sample to indicate it’s a Pregnant ward urine. Samples from patients under the age of 3, write “B” on the lid of the sample to indicate it’s a Baby urine.
If a Urine also has an MRSA swab with it. They are all processed as swabs UNLESS it is an Urgent Attention ward where the sample is split and the urine is send to the Urine bench to be processed.
3 ID’s required:
- Forename
- Surname
- Date of Birth
- NHS / Hospital No
NC:
- If site on sample doesn’t match the form
- No test is requested
- Site Unclear
- Incorrect test code
REJ:
- Unlabelled
- No sample received
- Two ID’s or less
- Patient Mismatch
- Sample too old (Red Top Samples last
4 days, White tops last24 hours)
If the location is a Urgent attention ward write on the lid of the sample to highlight the Microbiology team.
Urgent Attention Urines
Section titled “Urgent Attention Urines”Basildon Critical Care / Cardiac Critical Care - (BACCD/CCU)
Southend Critical Care - (CCU/SO65)
High Dependancy Units - (HDU/BAHDU/BANICU/SO75/SO79)
Colne Ward - (CCCO/BACCCO)
Chelmer Ward - (CSH/CHSC)
Roding Ward - (BAROMC)
Landon Critical Care - (BACCL)
Intensive Therapy Unit - (ITU)
Pregnant Ward
Section titled “Pregnant Ward”Margret Ward 1 (SO31)
Marget Broom 2 (SO32)
Southend Community Midwifery (SOCMW)
Basildon Antenatal (BANC/BAANC/ANC)
Basildon Labour Ward (BALAB)
Maternity Assessment (BAMAC)
Microbiology Swabs
Section titled “Microbiology Swabs”Additional Info
-
If you see the test code “R-CUL” on a genital swab then you would need to NC it as “incorrect test code” as “R-CUL” is a wound test code.
-
Rectal swabs do not count as genital swabs, they count as wounds.
-
If you receive an APTIMA swab then you would need to reject it with the reason being “APTIMA swab, unsuitable for testing”.
-
The site “Glands” is a GTL test code
N - Nose
T - Throat
A - Axilla (Armpit)
G - Groin
NTAG is apart of MRSA, therefore if you receive these sites together then you would label them with the same label.
However if you receive a “MRSS” test code then you must label all sites differently.
Additional Info
Normal MRSA test codes are:
- MRSA
- OPMS
- PAMS
- MRSS (Labelled differently)
-If you receive a Nose + Groin swab for example but only one swab states “Nose” then you can assume that the second swab will be “Groin”.
-If you receive a MRSA form that states the sites “Nose + Throat” but the swabs state “Nose + Groin” then in Marker Pen, cross out the form “Throat” and write “Groin” on the form instead.
-You can receive MRSA Urines however if the ward is an urgent ward such as “Kitty hubbard (SO65)” then you would need to photo-copy the form, put the Urine plus one of the forms in another bag and hand it over to the urine bench.
MRSA Quick Guide
Section titled “MRSA Quick Guide”Wound/Misc Swabs
Section titled “Wound/Misc Swabs”Wound Swabs Quick Guide
Section titled “Wound Swabs Quick Guide”Anything outside the ones listed are RCULS! (Including scrotum, sacrum, anus ect)
Wound Test Codes for Babies
Section titled “Wound Test Codes for Babies”Most baby screens are labelled individually (besides weekly swabs). All baby MRSA screens are processed as wounds. If you have an MRSA form requesting a test on a baby ear/nose/perineum, process as wounds, label them separately and NC them for incorrect test code.\