A specimen collection and transport protocol sets out, for each test group, what the receiving laboratory requires: which tube, how much fill, what holding temperature, and the latest time the specimen may reach the lab. The acceptable transport window differs from test to test, so the collection time goes on the label, where it travels with the specimen, and the latest arrival time goes on the group's process card.
Rejection mostly starts at collection rather than on the road. In a study of 21.3 million venous specimens in western China, 42,060 were rejected; 26.9 percent of the reasons were clotting, 22.7 percent insufficient volume and 15 percent the wrong tube, while transport temperature accounted for 0.02 percent. The first lines of a protocol therefore describe the tube, the fill volume and the mixing.
| Step | What to write |
|---|---|
| Collection | Tube type, fill volume, mixing |
| Label | Specimen code, collection date and time, collector |
| Initial hold | Temperature and maximum time by test group |
| Packaging | Leak-proof primary container, absorbent, leak-proof secondary container, rigid outer packaging |
| Transport | Coolant and data logger |
| Handover | Who receives, what they record |
For Category B (UN3373) shipments the WHO guidance requires three layers: a leak-proof primary container wrapped in enough absorbent material to take up the whole contents, a leak-proof secondary packaging and a rigid outer packaging. The coolant goes between the secondary and the outer packaging, and for air transport so does the itemised list of contents; the outer packaging carries the UN3373 mark and the words BIOLOGICAL SUBSTANCE, CATEGORY B. Shipments packed under P650 need no dangerous goods document.
If the vehicle breaks down, a road closes or collection runs late, the protocol should already state three options: continue if the window still holds; if it does not, keep the specimen at the right temperature and re-plan; if neither is possible, contact the lab and recollect. The handover record is written by both carrier and lab: specimen code, count, collection and receipt times and the in-container temperature record match on both sides.
