Sampling Guideline

Preparing for blood collection

For blood samples, it is recommended that the blood collection should be realized under basal conditions, i.e in the morning, on an empty stomach, before any therapeutic or diagnostic procedure, minimizing physical effort and emotional stress that may influence some analyzed parameters. For the lipid profile, a period of minimum 12 hours after the last meal is recommended.

Urine collection

Urine collection can be done both in the laboratory and at home. Disposable urine recipients or pediatric urine bags shall be used.

Urinalysis examination

The first morning urine or spontaneous urine emission, the middle jet after previous local washing.

Urine Culture

  • rigorous washing of genitourinary area with soap and water;
  • first morning urine in urine mid stream, in a disposable, sterile recipient; touching recipient by the genital area, by urine recipient cap or by surrounding objects shall be avoided;
  • it shall be brought to the laboratory within max.2 hours of sampling, otherwise it shall be refrigerated or recipients with certain preservatives shall be used.

Coproculture

The collection is realized in disposable coprosampler with transport environment. Faeces spontaneously discharged  are sampled or can be collected by probe. If not immediately brought to the laboratory, the sample is homogenized with the transport environment and can be refrigerated, being stable for 72 hours.

Pharyngeal / nasal swab, cultures

It is collected in the morning, before having meal or drinking liquids, without washing teeth, or 3-4 hours after the last meal or the last tooth brushing.
Disposable pharyngeal sampler without transport environment shall be used if immediately brought to the laboratory or sampler and transport environment shall be used if the transport is remote; in this way,  the refrigerated sample is stable for 48 hours.

Sampling culture discharges, microscopy

Secretions from the female genital area

Urethral and vaginal or cervical secretions, respectively vulvar for girls, shall be collected in the gynecological cabinet.
It is recommended to take samples before starting the antibiotic therapy, with no other local treatments and with sexual rest of 24 hours.

Secretions from the male genital area

Urethral secretions shall be sampled before the morning urination, preferably before the antibiotic therapy.

Examination of sputum - cultures

It shall be sampled in the morning, before having meal or drinking, with mouth washing without toothpaste, or 3-4 hours from them; it shall be immediately brought to the laboratory.