| Patient Preparations: |
Specimens should be collected while patient is symptomatic if the patient presents with periodicity of symptoms. |
| Specimen Requirements: |
Tube of EDTA Blood; thick and thin blood smears (2 each). Slides should be prepared within 1 hour of collection for identification of Plasmodium |
| Specimen Handling & Transport: |
Refrigeration for EDTA blood.
Room temperature for slides. |
| Collection Kit/Container: |
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| Collection Instructions: |
Peripheral blood (finger or ear lobe stick) and EDTA blood collected per standard operating procedures. Peripheral blood thick and thin smears should be made immediately. EDTA blood thick and thin smears must be made <1 hour after collection for accurate diagnosis. Whenever possible, blood should be collected prior to initiating anti-malarial therapy. |
| Unacceptable Conditions: |
Serum specimens and whole blood without anticoagulant cannot be tested.
Slides prepared >1 hour from collection. Specimens collected <4 hours apart. |
| Requisition Form: |
CDD Requisition Form A
Patient Travel History Form
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| Required Information: |
Patient history is critical for the diagnosis and identification of bloodborne parasites. In addition to the information mentioned above, patient history submitted should include any foreign travel (destination, dates), prophylaxis or treatment received, symptoms (periodicity?), arthropod or insect exposure and bites, blood transfusion, other.
Laboratory regulations require the following minimum information to be provided on the requisition form for a specimen to be accepted for testing: Patient name or unique identifier; date and time of collection, patient date of birth and sex, specimen type/site of collection, test request(s), clinician name and UPIN, and address for reporting results. Please be certain that name/identifier on the form matches that on the specimen label. |