SAMPLE TRANSPORTATION
Reducing the impact of transport on sample quality and TAT
At a recent Sample Transport Symposium event, hosted by Sarstedt, Dr Michael Cornes presented on the variety of options available for sample transportation and examined their influence on the speed and quality of test result.
Laboratory supplier Sarstedt hosted a two-day educational Transport Symposium at its Leicester base during March. An audience of NHS managers and biomedical scientists were present for a variety of presentations as well as a hands-on preview of the Tempus600 transport system. Key presentations included Clinical
Director Pathology at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust Dr Michael Cornes looking at existing methods of sample transport, and Professor of Clinical Biochemistry at Denmark’s Lillebaelt Hospital, Ivan Brandslund, who spoke on how the Tempus system – along with some other innovative developments – have helped his laboratory reduce total turnaround time (TAT). The first day’s highlight was undoubtably a session on creating a culture of high performance, delivered by Manuel Knight, a US Army veteran who is now one of Europe’s most sought-after speakers in the field of performance and motivation.
Further ‘workshop’ sessions allowed
some group discussion on the challenges faced by the delegates’ own trusts and laboratories and how technology can be of assistance, as well as following up on Manuel’s presentation and how it can be applied to NHS departments.
Reducing the impact of transport on samples In his presentation, entitled ‘Reducing the impact of short and long-distance transport on sample quality and
Dr Michael Cornes giving his presentation on reducing the impact of transport on sample quality and turnaround time.
turnaround time’, Dr Michael Cornes examined the variety of current and former sample transportation systems used currently (and in the past) as well as highlighting the impact of the transportation on those samples, and the ways in which that impact was measured. Considering pathology samples, the challenges of transportation include needle-to-centrifuge time, funding, tracking and monitoring, and finally maintaining sample quality. A wide range of factors exist which affect stability of samples, including the sample type, sample volume, tube type, temperature
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(which should be recorded and regulated) as well as any light exposure or evaporation.
Michael highlighted the impact of temperature variation on results for potassium, comparing samples taken in winter and summer (February 2019 vs. July 2018) then going on to look at published data on how such results can vary after storage at a range of temperatures. The impact on patients was demonstrated by Michael using figures from his own laboratory, showing that a number of patients required repeated tests, of which around 60% were normal
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