Department of Medical Lab.
Science FUDMA MLS 201
FEDERAL UNIVERSITY DUTSIN-MA
COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES
FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES AND
TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL LABORATORY
SCIENCES
MLS 201: Introduction to Medical Laboratory Science I (3
Credit Units)
Lecture Notes Series NO -2: General Introduction to MLS
Discipline and Specimen Collection in Medical Laboratory
Prepared by
Associate Prof. Bashir Abdulkadir
(Medical and Molecular Microbiologist)
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Department of Medical Lab. Science FUDMA MLS 201
GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO MEDICAL LABORATORY DISCIPLINE
Background
Medical laboratory science is a complex field embracing several different disciplines such as
Haematology, Clinical Chemistry, Immunology, Virology, Bacteriology, Mycology,
Parasitology, Blood group Serology, Histopathology, Cytology, Molecular biology, and others.
Furthermore, in a modified specialty, we have the following field:
✓Haematology and Blood Transfusion Science
✓Histopathology and Cytopathology
✓Medical Microbiology
✓Parasitology and Entomology
✓Chemical Pathology
✓Molecular Diagnostics & Biotechnology; and
✓Immunology
However, introduction to Medical Laboratory Science is a basic course that equips the student
with the essential knowledge and skill about medical laboratories such as:
• Importance of laboratory services
• Role of the medical laboratory technologist
• Use of laboratory wares, instruments and sterilization techniques
• Prevention and control of laboratory accidents and
• Institution of the quality control system.
PROFESSIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT AND ETHICS OF MEDICAL
LABORATORY PERSONNEL
The code includes those attitudes and practices which characterize a responsible medical
laboratory Scientist/technician and which are necessary to ensure that a person works up to the
level of a recognized standard. The people receiving the service expect such a situation. Above
all, a code of Professional conduct can upkeep our motivation and remind us that the medical
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Department of Medical Lab. Science FUDMA MLS 201
laboratory profession is primarily dedicated to the service of the sick and the promotion of good
health care.
Major codes of professional conduct are enumerated below:
1. Place the well - being and service of the sick above your own interests.
2. Be loyal to your medical laboratory profession by maintaining high standards of work
and by improving your professional skills and knowledge.
3. Work scientifically and with complete honesty,
4. Do not misuse your professional skills or knowledge for personal gain.
5 Never take anything from your place of work that does not belong to you.
6. Do not disclose to a patient or any unauthorized person the results of your investigation.
7. Treat your results and your patient’s information with strict confidentiality.
8. Respect colleagues and work in harmony.
9. Be sympathetic and considerate to the sick and their relatives.
10. Promote health care and the prevention and control of disease.
11. Follow safety precautions and know how to apply first aid.
12. Do not consume alcohol or any other abusive substances during working hours or when
on emergency standby.
13. Use equipment and laboratory wares correctly and with care.
14. Do not waste reagents or other laboratory supplies.
Medical Laboratory Policies
Medical Laboratory policies are those decisions, which are taken in consultation with other
medical staff to enable a laboratory to operate reliably and effectively in harmony with other
departments.
These polices usually cover:
A. Laboratory hour and emergency work
As far as possible there should be definite laboratory working hours. In peripheral laboratories, it
is often more difficult to maintain working hours. This is because of large outpatient flow and
the emergency nature of much of the work. Outside of normal working hours, each laboratory
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Department of Medical Lab. Science FUDMA MLS 201
should organize a system for testing urgent specimens. Only those investigations that are
essential for the immediate care and assessment of a patient should be requested urgently.
B. Range of tests to be performed and those to be referred to higher level
• Range of test to be performed depend on:
The number of staff available;
The availability of material resources;
The types of health institutions (hospital or health center).
• Referral of specimens (when necessary). Example, specimens for HIV detection and
water samples for bacteriological analysis.
SPECIMEN COLLECTION IN MEDICAL LABORATORIES
(Specimen collection, reception and registrations, record keeping and result delivery).
Collection of Medical Laboratory Specimen
This includes collection, handling and shipment of medical specimens. Many different types of
specimens are received daily in a laboratory and it is necessary to observe certain details to
ensure that appropriate specimens are collected.
The quality of specimens has an effect on the reliability of tests that are performed. For example,
a clotted blood sample has a little value for white cell count. Therefore, such sample must be
rejected from being used. Specimens received in a laboratory should fulfil the following
requirements.
Guidelines on the Collection of Specimen for Laboratory Investigations
In most of the cases, the lab has little control on the collection of specimens for medical
laboratory examinations. However, education, awareness and care must be taken in to account
during collection and transportation of the specimen to the lab. The following guidelines should
be considered:
1. Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) on the collection of specimen must be written and
followed.
2. Special collecting trays or boxes must be used and they must able to with stand repeated
autoclaving or disinfection.
3. Specimen must be collected in to a clean sterile, leak proof and suitable container
4. The specimen containers should be clearly labelled with the patient’s name, identification
number, date of collection and time of collection
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Department of Medical Lab. Science FUDMA MLS 201
5. Sample must be taken without contamination from the actual site/place of collection.
6. Request forms should be kept separate from the specimens to prevent contamination.
7. Adequate quantity of the specimen must be collected. Enough amount of specimen
should be collected to perform the intended laboratory test (s).
8. All specimens must be carried up right with fitted plugs
9. All specimen must be treated as pathogenic to ensure self-infection and for the safety of
other personnel.
10. All the materials used for collection of specimens must be sterilised before and after use.
11. Specimen should be dispatched and received in the lab immediately and processed on
receipt, if there will be a delay, the specimen must be refrigerated in a required
temperature before processed.
12. There should be no addition of preservatives or antiseptic to specimens for culture.
13. The specimen should be labelled, marked with the date of collection or preparation (in
case of reagents), source of collection and appropriate number where necessary.
14. Specimens that are suspected or containing dangerous pathogens, must be labeled as
“Dangerous or highly infectious” and handled with special precautions. Example:
Specimens containing Bacillus anthrax, Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV), HBV,
Ebola Virus, Corona Virus e.t.c
15. A fully completed, request form should accompany each specimen with the detail
information contained in the request form.
16. If a specimen is to be sent by airmail to a referral laboratory, it must be packed with due
regard to the correct postal regulations. These include:
A- Specimen (s) must be sent by airmail.
B- Must be labelled clearly with permanent marker.
C- It must be in sealed containers.
D- The sealed containers must be placed in plastic bag (s).
Registration of Specimen at Reception and Record Keeping
A- Medical Laboratory Request Form
Many different types of laboratories requests are received daily in a medical laboratory. The
format of laboratory requisitions may vary from one health institution to the other.
In many health institutions, the test request form serves as a test result report form. An efficient
laboratory will be able to monitor the laboratory request and its requisition forms from the time
the specimens arrive until the time that results are released.
1. Laboratory request form should be made in writing and provide the following
information:
2. The patient’s identification (full name, age, sex, address);
3. Inpatient or outpatient identification number;
4. Specific test(s) required and date requested;
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Department of Medical Lab. Science FUDMA MLS 201
5. Type of specimen provided;
6. Name of medical officer requesting the test and to whom the report should be sent;
7. Any other information relevant to the test requested.
B- Keeping of laboratory Records
The laboratory must keep a record of all results and it should contain the following:
1. Patient’s identification (name, age, sex, full address),
2. Type of the specimen (s),
3. Type of test(s) done,
4. Date and result(s) of the test (s).
A record of a test results must be kept by the laboratory as carbon copies, work sheets, or
recording test results in registers. Whichever system is used; it must enable patients’ results to be
found quickly. Records of tests and results are required in the laboratory to issue copies to
patients who have lost their results. Moreover, they are also required when preparing duty reports
and estimating the workload of the laboratory.
C- Delivery of Laboratory Results
Laboratory staff should provide as much relevant information as possible to assist those
requesting tests. Standardization in the presentation of reports and use of units is important
because it helps in the interpretation and comparison of results, contributes to the efficiency of a
laboratory service, and is of great value when patients are referred from one health unit or
hospital to another. Reports should be clearly and neatly written, particularly figures. Therefore,
to ensure the validity and accuracy of test results, the following points should be taken into
consideration:
1. Experienced member of medical laboratory professional must check all laboratory results
before dispatching them to respective departments or units.
2. Any unexpected result should be investigated and repeated if necessary.
3. If possible, reference values (normal ranges) should be included in reports.
References for Further Reading
1. Fritz H. Kayser, Kurt A. Bienz, Johannes Eckert, Rolf M. Zinkernagel, (2005); Medical
Microbiology. Thieme Stuttgart! New York.
2. Berhanu Seyoum (2006) LECTURE NOTES For Medical Laboratory Technology
Students, Haramaya University. Produced in collaboration with the Ethiopia Public
Health Training Initiative, The Carter Center, the Ethiopia Ministry of Health, and the
Ethiopia Ministry of Education.
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