Management of In-patients with Loose Stools ... - NHS Lanarkshire

Note: Completion
of Review
NHS Lanarkshire
Health Protection Committee
SECTION E 1 - Management of In-patients with
Loose Stools: Gastrointestinal Outbreak
Section E1
Effective From Sep 2010
Replaces Jun 2010
Pages 21 of 31
Review Date March 2013
Health Protection Committee approved review date extension to March 2013
E 21
Appendix 2
SPECIMENS
Faecal specimens should be collected from the symptomatic patients as early as possible; preferably not
longer than 24 to 48 hrs after onset of symptoms.
Use the correct sampling bottle or container for the type of specimen collected
The specimen must be safely contained, and clearly labelled
Specimens must be packaged to minimise the chance of breakage or leakage in the course of
normal transport
Document in the patient’s nursing/ medical notes what and when specimens have been taken
REQUEST FORMS
A request form should be sent with each specimen
The correct Patient Label/ information (if available) should be attached to the request form.
This assists the assessing of the request onto the laboratory computer system and the prevention
of mis-labelling and/or mis-matching of samples
All request forms must clearly state the name of the clinician requesting the investigation
ALL REQUEST FORMS MUST CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING:
o Patient Details: Name Address Date of Birth, Sex
o Relevant clinical details including current, recent or proposed antibiotic therapy
This is very important as it often dictates the method of investigation and the
interpretation of subsequent results
o Specimen details - clinical information need not be wordy, but should be
focused
o Investigation required
If patient is part of an outbreak, advice should be sought from the Infection Control Team to ensure this
information is documented on the request form.
TRANSPORT OF SPECIMENS
Specimens should be placed in a single transport bag and sealed to contain spillage and
contamination