Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

Diagnostic Specimens Packaging and Shipping

Checklist for Packaging and Shipping Diagnostic Specimens - PDF

Checklist for Packaging and Shipping Category A Infectious Substances - PDF

General Submission Information
New shipping guidelines have been developed based on the requirements contained in the IATA Dangerous Goods Shipping Regulations for the transport of Diagnostic Specimens.

Briefly, all diagnostic specimens must be shipped in packaging of good quality, strong enough to withstand the shock and loading normally encountered during transport. Packaging must consist of three components:
     1. a primary receptacle;
     2. a secondary packaging;
     3. a rigid outer packaging.

The primary receptacle must be packed in such a way that, under normal conditions of transport, they cannot break, be punctured or leak. Secondary packaging must be secured in outer packaging with suitable cushioning material and contain a quantity of absorbent material, that in the case of liquid release from the primary container, the entire contents will be absorbed. For complete information on packing instructions for Diagnostic Specimens, see Packing Instructions 650. If you have a question concerning shipment of Diagnostic Specimens, please contact the Diagnostic Laboratory."

Serum Submission
Sample Identification: Tube numbers should be easily distinguishable from animal ID. Tubes should be numbered to indicate the order on the submission form and be in consecutive order. If samples from several sites or farms are sent to the lab in the same package, please label tubes so it is clear whose samples are whose. Use permanent ink.

Sample Preparation: Blood should be allowed to clot at room temperature before refrigerating or centrifuging. Protect blood samples from direct sunlight, extreme heat, and freezing. Refrigerate when clotting is complete if centrifugation will be done hours later. Note that serum separator tubes require centrifugation for a minimum of 10 minutes at 2,000 rpm. Provide at least 0.5 ml of serum/test requested. Make sure there are no erythrocytes in the serum because they interfere with certain tests.

Sample Shipping: Please send tubes in a box with dividers, organized in chart order. Do Not Send Tubes in a Bag or an Envelope. Ship overnight: protect from freezing in winter and heat in summer.

Tissue Submission
Formalin-fixed tissues: Protect formalin - fixed specimens from freezing. Protect formalized samples from direct contact with frozen packs OR frozen specimens as this may result in freezing of the fixed tissue and cause tissue artifacts. Ten percent neutral buffered formalin is the fixative of choice. Place tissue in fixative as soon as possible. Tissue volume should be less than 1/10th that of the formalin solution. Slices should be no thicker than 1 cm. Use wide mouthed, leak proof containers and pack with absorbent material in case a leak does occur. A tissue that is fresh and pliable can easily be put into a narrow mouthed jar, but it becomes hard when fixed and cannot be readily removed.

Fresh tissues: Fresh tissues should be collected and placed in sealed, waterproof containers, refrigerated and shipped on frozen gel packs or the equivalent according to Packing Instructions 650, as mandated for shipping diagnostic specimens. Do not freeze.

Special requests: Some samples may require different fixation or handling procedures. Please contact the laboratory prior to taking these samples.

Samples from a necropsy. Submit sections of lesions and samples of major organs.

Surgical pathology samples. Provide pertinent clinical history, physical examination findings (distribution and duration of the lesions) and clinical laboratory findings.  Provide a precise description of the lesion that was biopsied as well as the site of the biopsy. If the lesion was previously biopsied, the accession number or previous biopsy report is often useful in evaluating whether the lesion is the same disease process or whether progression or regression has occurred.  Multiple biopsies of skin lesions are often helpful.

 

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This section was last updated on:Friday June 01 2007

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