Test request

• 1. Requisition Form

     1. All specimens must be accompanied by the standard laboratory requisition form (PER-PAT-301) except otherwise specified.

     2. All requisition form must be filled in completely, signed and stamped by HO, MO, or specialist.

     3. Clinical history and provision must be provided and clearly written.

     4. For culture request, state important information such as whether antimicrobial treatment administered or planned for the patient management. 

     5. For non-culture request, it is important to document disease onset so as to guide the appropriate test to be done. 

• 2. Specimen

     1. Specimen container for each patient should be labelled and placed into one biohazard plastic bag and stapled to request form.

     2. All specimens must be sent to the respective counters (refer to page 2). 

     3. All requests from wards and clinics should be accompanied by despatch book.

     4. Pneumatic tube system is ONLY available in Integrated Laboratory. 

     5. Specimen that CANNOT be sent via pneumatic tube:

        1. All Urgent Tests

        2. Haematology Tests

        3. Arterial / venous blood gases

        4. Biological fluid (Urine, CSF, Pleural fluid, etc.)

        5. COVID/ PAW/ SARI/ PUI samples

• 3. Urgent request

     1. Urgent requests must be justified by clinical history, diagnosis, and reason for urgency.

     2. The word URGENT must be stamped or written (in red ink) on the upper right-hand corner of the request form.

     3. Urgent requests must be separated from non-urgent requests.

• 4. Add-on tests 

Add-on tests are subject to discussion with Pathologist and/or respective unit's policy.

• 5. Result

     1. Lab will inform the first critical result via phone according to current guidelines.

     2. Lab results can be viewed via Lab information system (Web-based). 

     3. Please refer to person-in-charge in respective wards/clinics regarding the access to the system.

• 6. Rejection

     1. Requests that DO NOT FULFILL the laboratory requirement WILL BE REJECTED. 

     2. Criteria for rejections are:

        1. No patient name or identification number 

        2. No location (ward/ clinic/ hospital) 

        3. Test name not stated 

        4. Contaminated form (details illegible) 

        5. No requestor's / specialist’s name, signature or stamp 

        6. No clinical summary / required clinical details (including tests) 

        7. No date and time of specimen taken 

        8. Incomplete donor declaration (drug of abuse) 

        9. Wrong form 

        10. Incomplete labelling (Name / IC/ Test Name) 

        11. Information on form and label not tally 

        12. Wrong container/fixative 

        13. Hemolysed 

        14. Blood clotted 

        15. Improper specimen volume (underfilled/overfilled) 

        16. Specimen leaking 

        17. Specimen not sealed / seal query broken 

        18. Specimen decomposed/degenerated 

        19. Wrong specimen/ wrong sampling time 

        20. Unsatisfactory specimen/slides 

        21. Tube/container expired 

        22. Repeated test 

        23. Test not done after office hours 

        24. Test not indicated 

        25. Test not offered 

        26. Sharing form (multiple test) 

        27. No sample received

        28. Error in remote demography.