Table 2 Recommendations for sample transportation accordin g to the test method, adapted from Domeika and colleagues[9]
From: Diagnosis of genital herpes simplex virus infection in the clinical laboratory
Test method | Conditions | Comments |
|---|---|---|
Viral culture | • Immediately after sampling the material must be placed in appropriate transport medium, such as Eagle’s medium with addition of antibiotics | • Herpes simplex virus is sensitive to both the temperature and to drying out |
• The material should preferably be transported to the laboratory on ice, and kept at °4°C for up to 48 hours | ||
• Material should not be kept for more than 4 hours at room temperature | ||
• Accurately marked test tubes must be placed in a hermetic reservoir and transported to the laboratory accompanied by the relevant documentation including the investigation method requested | ||
Antigen detection and nucleic acid amplification tests | Transport medium is usually provided by the manufacturer of the diagnostic commercial assay | • The material is generallly delivered in special test tubes with transport medium according to the manufacturer’s instructions for each test |
• If the sample transportation procedure is not described in the manufacturer’s instructions or in-house test systems are used, transportation is performed as follows: | ||
o Clinical material placed in univesal transport medium should be transported in a cool bag at 4 ± 2°C | ||
o Urine should be delivered to the laboratory within three hours of collection, at ambient temperature | ||
• Test tubes containing clinical material should be transported to the laboratory accompanied by the relevant documentation including the investigation method requested | ||
Microscopy (direct examination or immunofluorescence) | • If there is a need to save the material for more than 24 hours, the smear should be fixed with 96% ethyl alcohol for three minutes | • If the rules of sampling and conditions of transportation of the biological material are not followed (e.g. slides are broken, unmarked or stuck together or there is no material on the slide), microscopy examination should not be carried out |
• Each smear on a microscope slide should be placed in the transportation container and transported to the laboratory accompanied by the relevant documentation including the investigation method requested | ||
• Method rarely used now |