Parasitology

Microbiology

Investigation of stool and urine samples for ova, cysts and parasites.

Sample Type:

Stool/Sellotape test/Urine/ Perianal swab

Temperature: 2-8°C

Turnaround Time:

3-4 working Days

*Excludes Bank Holidays

Sample Stability:

5 days @ 2–8 ºC

Instrument / Procedure:

Midi Parasep Kit & Manual Microscopy

Units:
Reference Range:
Precautions:

Preparation of patient: N/A

Precautions:

Faeces; samples should be taken into a sterile universal container and before antimicrobial or antidiarrhoeal therapy. Ideally three stool specimens should be collected over no more than a 10-day period. It is usually recommended that specimens are collected every other day. Unless the patient has severe diarrhoea or dysentery, no more than one specimen should be examined within a single 24 hour period, as shedding of cysts and ova tends to be intermittent.

Sellotape slide; Enterobius vermicularis (Thread/ Pin worm). Samples should be taken between 10pm and midnight, or early in the morning, before defecation or bathing.

Method: Apply clear Sellotape to the perianal region, pressing the adhesive side of the tape firmly against the left and right perianal folds several times; the tape can be wrapped around a tongue depressor to aid specimen collection . Carefully smooth the tape back on the glass microscope slide, adhesive side down. Sellotape samples NOT affixed to a slide will NOT be examined. A swab of the area also cannot be examined.

It is recommended that samples should be taken for at least 4 to 6 consecutive days. If the results of all these are negative the patient can be considered free from infection.

Urine; (for S. haematobium) samples should be taken into a sterile urine container. Optimum specimen collection is a terminal urine sample taken between 10am and 2pm (period of maximum activity). Minimum volume required is 10ml.

PLEASE NOTE: Samples and accompanying relevant patient/ isolate data maybe referred for confirmatory or further laboratory testing to Reference laboratories. Relevant Public Health departments may also be notified IF a notifiable disease is identified under the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 53/2020).

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Accreditation Status:
Accredited
Non-Accredited

SAMPLE REQUIREMENTS FOR COAGULATION TESTS

PROCEDURE

Sample Requirements and Collection

  • Patients should be relaxed pre-venepuncture. Excessive stress and exercise will increase FVIII, vWF antigen and fibrinolysis. Venous occlusion should be avoided.  
  • Difficult venepuncture with trauma may lead to platelet activation with release of PF4 from alpha granules.
  • Venous blood should be collected into coagulation tubes containing Sodium Citrate 3.2%, 0.105M.
  • Specimens must be mixed immediately post venepuncture to avoid clot activation, by GENTLY inverting the tubes 5 to 10 times.
  • The ratio of whole blood to anticoagulant is crucial to clotting times. A target blood to anticoagulant ratio of 9:1 is optimal.  Under- or over- filled specimens will not be processed this can adversely affect results.  
  • Any warfarin treatment should be mentioned on the request form.
  • Sample rejection Criteria: Clotted sample, grossly hemolyzed sample, underfilled/overfilled specimen, unlabeled sample, mismatched patient ID, aged samples, wrong sample tube (citrate tube only).

Transportation and Storage

  • PT/INR specimens should be transported to the laboratory at room temperature.
  • Coagulation specimens should ideally be analysed within 4 hours of collection. Where this is not possible, centrifuge specimens at room temperature (RT) @ 1500RCF for at least 15 minutes, and then carefully remove the plasma from the cells, transfer to a fresh plastic plain tube and freeze at -20oC.  
  • Non-frozen coagulation specimens should be transported at RT ASAP to avoid deterioration of labile factors V and VIII.
  • Collection of blood through intravenous lines that have been previously flushed with heparin should be avoided. In the event blood is drawn from an indwelling catheter, the line should be flushed with 5ml of saline, and the first 5ml of blood or 6 times the line volume be drawn off and discarded before coagulation tube is filled.
  • Effect of freezing on Coagulation Specimens.
  • A 14days in-house study on the effect of freezing, on coagulation specimens at -20oC, showed that there was negligible and clinically non-significant effect of freezing on coagulation specimen results. Therefore frozen citrated coagulation samples are stable for 14 days at -20oC, post centrifugation. This study is available in-house for reference.
ESR Ref Ranges
Units of Measurement
MALE
FEMALE
>50 Years
mm/hr
0 - ≤12
0 - ≤15
<50 Years
mm/hr
0 - ≤8
0 - ≤10
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Analyte
Units of Measurement
MALE
FEMALE
WBC
10^9/L
4.0–10.0
4.0 - 10.0
RBC
10^12/L
5.0 ± 0.5
4.3 ± 0.5
HB
g/dL
15.0 ± 2.0
13.5 ± 1.5
HCT
L/L
0.45 ± 0.05
0.41 ± 0.05
MCV
fL
92 ± 9
92 ± 9
MCH
pg
29.5 ± 2.5
29.5 ± 2.5
MCHC
g/dL
33.0 ± 1.5
33.0 ± 1.5
PLT
10^9/L
280 ± 130
280 ± 130
MPV
fL
N/A
N/A
RDW
%
11.6 - 14.0
11.6 - 14.0
#Neut
10^9/L
2.0 – 7.0
(40 - 80%)
#Lymph
10^9/L
1.0 – 3.0
(20 - 40%)
#Mono
10^9/L
0.2 – 1.0
(2 - 10%)
#Eos
10^9/L
0.02 – 0.5
(1 - 6%)
#Baso
10^9/L
0.02 – 0.1
(<1 - 2%)
Analyte
Units of Measurement
MALE & FEMALE
WBC
10^9/L
Birth: 18 ± 8
Day 3: 15 ± 8
Day 7: 14 ± 8
Day 14: 14 ± 8
1 Month: 12 ± 7
2 Months: 10 ± 5
3–6 Months: 12 ± 6
1 Year: 11 ± 5
2–6 Years: 10 ± 5
6–12 Years: 9 ± 4
RBC
10^12/L
Birth: 6.0 ± 1.0
Day 3: 5.3 ± 1.3
Day 7: 5.1 ± 1.2
Day 14: 4.9 ± 1.3
1 Month: 4.2 ± 1.2
2 Months: 3.7 ± 0.6
3–6 Months: 4.7 ± 0.6
1 Year: 4.5 ± 0.6
2–6 Years: 4.6 ± 0.6
6–12 Years: 4.6 ± 0.6
HB
g/dL
Birth: 18.0 ± 4.0
Day 3: 18.0 ± 3.0
Day 7: 17.5 ± 4.0
Day 14: 16.5 ± 4.0
1 Month: 14.0 ± 2.5
2 Months: 11.2± 1.8
3–6 Months: 12.6 ± 1.5
1 Year: 12.6 ± 1.5
2–6 Years: 12.5 ± 1.5
6–12 Years: 13.5 ± 2.0
HCT
L/L
Birth: 0.60 ± 0.15
Day 3: 0.56 ± 0.11
Day 7: 0.54 ± 0.12
Day 14: 0.51 ± 0.12
1 Month: 0.43 ± 0.10
2 Months: 0.35 ± 0.07
3–6 Months: 0.35 ± 0.08
1 Year: 0.34 ± 0.04
2–6 Years: 0.37 ± 0.03
6–12 Years: 0.40 ± 0.05
MCV
fL
Birth: 110 ± 10
Day 3: 105 ± 13
Day 7: 107 ± 19
Day 14: 105 ± 19
1 Month: 104 ± 12
2 Months: 95 ± 8
3–6 Months: 76 ± 8
1 Year: 78 ± 6
2–6 Years: 81 ± 6
6–12 Years: 86 ± 9
MCH
pg
Birth: 34 ± 3
Day 3: 34 ± 3
Day 7: 34 ± 3
Day 14: 34 ± 3
1 Month: 33 ± 3
2 Months: 30 ± 3
3–6 Months: 27 ± 3
1 Year: 27 ± 2
2–6 Years: 27 ± 3
6–12 Years: 29 ± 4
MCHC
g/dL
Birth: 33.0 ± 3.0
Day 3: 33.0 ± 4.0
Day 7: 33.0 ± 5.0
Day 14: 33.0 ± 5.0
1 Month: 33.0 ± 4.0
2 Months: 32.0 ± 3.5
3–6 Months: 33.0 ± 3.0
1 Year: 34.0 ± 2.0
2–6 Years: 34.0 ± 3.0
6–12 Years: 34.0 ± 3.0
PLT
10^9/L
Birth: 100 – 450
Day 3: 210 – 500
Day 7: 160 – 500
Day 14: 170 – 500
1 Month: 200 – 500
2 Months: 210 – 650
3–6 Months: 200 – 550
1 Year: 200 – 550
2–6 Years: 200 – 490
6–12 Years: 170 – 450
Reticulocytes
10^9/L
Birth: 120 – 400
Day 3: 50 – 350
Day 7: 50 – 100
Day 14: 50 - 100
1 Month: 20 – 60
2 Months: 30 – 50
3–6 Months: 40 – 100
1 Year: 30 – 100
2–6 Years: 30 – 100
6–12 Years: 30 – 100
#Neut
10^9/L
Birth: 4 – 14
Day 3: 3 – 5
Day 7: 3 – 6
Day 14: 3 – 7
1 Month: 3 – 9
2 Months: 1.0 – 5
3–6 Months: 1 – 6
1 Year: 1 – 7
2–6 Years: 1.5 – 8
6–12 Years: 2 – 8
#Lymph
10^9/L
Birth: 3 – 8
Day 3: 2 – 8
Day 7: 3 – 9
Day 14: 3 – 9
1 Month: 3 – 16
2 Months: 4 – 10
3–6 Months: 4 – 12
1 Year: 3.5 – 11
2–6 Years: 6 - 9
6–12 Years: 1 - 5
#Mono
10^9/L
Birth: 0.5 – 2.0
Day 3: 0.5 – 1.0
Day 7: 0.1 – 1.7
Day 14: 0.1 – 1.7
1 Month: 0.3 – 1.0
2 Months: 0.4 – 1.2
3–6 Months: 0.2 – 1.2
1 Year: 0.2 – 1.0
2–6 Years: 0.2 – 1.0
6–12 Years: 0.2 – 1.0
#Eos
10^9/L
Birth: 0.1 – 1.0
Day 3: 0.1 – 2.0
Day 7: 0.1 – 0.8
Day 14: 0.1 – 0.9
1 Month: 0.2 – 1.0
2 Months: 0.1 – 1.0
3–6 Months: 0.1 – 1.0
1 Year: 0.1 – 1.0
2–6 Years: 0.1 – 1.0
6–12 Years: 0.1 – 1.0
Reference Ranges:
Age
Absolute Reference Range
Age
% Reference Range
0 - 1 day
324 - 617 x109/L
0 - 1 day
1.72 - 8.62%
1 - 5 days
85 - 400 x109/L
1 - 5 days
1.9 - 9.1%
5 days - 1 mth
34.2 - 724 x109/L
5 days - 1 mth
0.1 - 6.9%
1 - 3 mths
21.3 - 205 x109/L
1 - 3 mths
0.1 - 6.27%
3 - 12 mths
8.0 - 171 x109/L
3 - 12 mths
0.1 - 4.7%
1 - 3 yrs
55.6 - 120 x109/L
1 - 3 yrs
0.35 - 2.95%
3 - 7yrs
16.4 - 120.7 x109/L
3 - 7yrs
0.25 - 2.57%
Adult
35.2 - 122.8 x109/L
Adult
0.75 - 2.7%
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