Please contact the laboratory on 0121 371 6538 if you require a test that is not listed below.
Investigation |
Sample |
Container |
Aeromonas – specialised culture, on request |
Faeces |
Faecal pot/Sterile universal |
Amoebic dysentery |
Faeces, keep warm |
Faecal pot/Sterile universal |
Anti Staphlyococcal titre (AST) |
Blood |
Red |
Anti Streptolysin titre (ASOT) |
Blood |
Red |
BAL = broncheal/alveolar lavage |
BAL |
Sterile universal |
Blood culture |
Blood (10 x 2mL) |
Blood culture bottle only (10mL per bottle, two sets/pairs)
(2x10ml) Aerobic – blue top
Anaerobic – purple top |
Campylobacter culture |
Faeces |
Faecal pot/Sterile universal |
Candida culture |
HVS |
Routine swab |
Chlamydia trachomatis |
Endo-cervical/ urethral |
Request
special swab |
Urine |
Sterile universal,(5ml)
Request special collection kit
|
Cholera – specialised culture, on request |
Faeces |
Faecal pot/Sterile universal |
Clostridium difficile toxin |
Faeces |
Faecal pot/Sterile universal |
CSF = cerebrospinal fluid |
CSF |
Sterile universal |
CSU = (catheter specimen urine) |
Urine |
Sterile universal |
Diphtheria |
Throat |
Routine swab |
EMU = early morning urine |
Urine |
250 mL sterile container |
Enterobius – see threadworm |
|
|
Faecal parasites |
Faeces |
Faecal pot/Sterile universal |
Faeces |
Faeces |
Faecal pot/Sterile universal |
Gonorrhoea culture |
Cervical/urethral |
Routine swab |
Gonorrhoea PCR |
Endo-cervical/
urethral |
Request special swab |
Urine |
Request special collection kit, Sterile universal, (5ml minimum)
|
Laryngitis |
Throat |
Routine swab |
Meningitis, bacterial and fungal |
CSF |
Sterile universal |
MRSA PCR |
Nose |
Request special swab |
MRSA screen |
Nose, groin and throat |
Routine swabs |
MSU (mid-stream urine) |
Urine |
Boric acid monovette (from NHS supplies) |
Mycobacterium blood culture |
Blood |
Special collection container available from the microbiology laboratory |
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) renal – three early morning samples from different days |
Urine |
250mL container |
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) respiratory – three sputum samples from different days |
Sputum |
Sterile universal |
Mycobacterium tuberculosis CSF |
CSF |
Sterile universal, 2mL minimum |
Norovirus PCR |
Faeces and/or vomit |
Sterile universal |
Pharyngitis |
Throat |
Routine swab |
Pinworm – see threadworm |
|
|
Pneumonia, bacterial |
Sputum |
Sterile universal |
Pregnancy testing – EMU if possible |
Urine |
Sterile universal |
Quinsy |
Throat |
Routine swab |
Salmonella |
Faeces |
Faecal pot/Sterile universal |
Shigella |
Faeces |
Faecal pot/Sterile universal |
TB – see mycobacterium tuberculosis |
|
|
Threadworm – press approximately 5cm sellotape to perianal area before washing or defecation. Stick tape around central area of microscope slide |
Sellotape stuck to slide |
Slide container |
Trichomonas |
HVS |
Routine swab |
Typhoid – specialised culture, on request |
Faeces and blood |
Faecal pot/Sterile universal – see blood culture |
UTI, acute (urinary tract infection) |
Urine (MSU or CSU) |
Boric acid monovette (from NHS supplies) |
Vaginosis, bacterial |
HVS |
Routine swab |
Yersinia – specialised culture, on request |
Faeces |
Faecal pot/Sterile universal |
|
Serology |
Amikacin assay – pre and post samples |
Blood |
Red |
Cytomegalovirus IgG (CMV) |
Blood |
Red |
Gentamicin level – five minute pre and one hour post samples |
Blood |
Red |
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) |
Blood |
Red |
Hepatitis B virus (including Hep B markers) |
Blood |
Red |
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) |
Blood |
Red |
Human immunodeficiency virus antigen/antibody |
Blood |
Red |
Rubella IgG |
Blood |
Red |
Tobramycin assay |
Blood |
Red |
Toxoplasma IgG |
Blood |
Red |
Vancomycin levels – five minute pre-dose only |
Blood |
Red |
Xanthochromia – see biochemistry |
|
|
|
Adenovirus PCR |
Blood |
Purple |
Amoebic antibodies |
Blood |
Red |
Anti DNAase |
Blood |
Red |
Arbovirus |
Blood |
Red |
Aspergillus |
Blood |
Red |
Atypical pneumonia screen – requires acute and convalescence paired samples (includes chlamydia pneuminiae, mycoplasma pneumoniae, chalmydia psittaci, coxiella, influenza A&B, RSV) |
Blood |
Red |
Avian precipitins |
Blood |
Red |
Bartonella – see cat scratch fever |
|
|
BK virus PCR – see polyoma virus |
|
|
Blastomyces serology |
Blood |
Red |
Bordetella – see pertussis |
|
|
Borrelia – see Lymes disease |
|
|
Brucella |
Blood |
Red |
Budgerigar precipitins |
Blood |
Red |
Campylobacter serology |
Blood |
Red |
Candida antibodies |
Blood |
Red |
Cat scratch fever (bartonella) |
Blood |
Red |
Chicken pox – see Varicella Zoster |
|
|
Chicken precipitins |
Blood |
Red |
Ciproflaxacin assay |
Blood |
Red |
CMV – see cytomegalovirus |
|
|
Coccidioides serology |
Blood |
Red |
Colistin assay |
Blood |
Red |
Co-trimoxazole assay |
Blood |
Red |
Coxiella (Q-fever) |
Blood |
Red |
Cryptococcus neoformans antigen |
Blood |
Red |
CSF |
Sterile universal |
Cysticercosis |
Blood |
Red |
Cytomegalovirus IgM (CMV) |
Blood |
Red |
Cytomegalovirus PCR (CMV PCR) |
Blood |
Purple |
CSF |
Sterile universal |
Delta virus – see Hepatitis D |
|
|
Dengue fever |
Blood |
Red |
Diphtheria Ab |
Blood |
Red |
E coli type O157 antibody titre |
Blood |
Red |
EBV – see Epstein Barr virus |
|
|
Enterovirus PCR |
CSF |
Sterile universal |
Epstein Barr virus IgA (EBV Immunoglobulin A) |
Blood |
Red |
Epstein Barr virus IgG (EBV Immunoglobulin G) |
Blood |
Red |
Epstein Barr virus IgM (EBV Immunoglobulin M) |
Blood |
Red |
Epstein Barr Virus PCR (EBV polymerase chain reaction) |
Blood |
Purple |
CSF |
Sterile universal |
Filarial antibodies |
Blood |
Red |
Fluconazole assay |
Blood |
Red |
Flucytosine assay |
Blood |
Red |
Gancyclovir assay |
Blood |
Red |
Glandular fever – see Paul Bunnell, Haematology |
|
|
Haemophilus influenza antibodies |
Blood |
Red |
Haemophilus influenza type B antibodies |
Blood |
Red |
Hanta virus |
Blood |
Red |
HAV – see Hepatitis A virus |
|
|
HBV – see Hepatitis B virus |
|
|
HCV - see Hepatitis C virus |
|
|
HDV - see Hepatitis D virus |
|
|
Helicobacter pylorii (H.pylorii) |
Blood |
Red |
Hepatitis B virus DNA |
Blood |
2 x purple |
Hepatitis B surface antigen gene sequencing |
Blood |
Red |
Hepatitis B virus resistance assay |
Blood |
2 x purple |
Hepatitis C virus genotype |
Blood |
2 x purple |
Hepatitis C virus qualitative PCR |
Blood |
2 x purple |
Hepatitis C virus quantitative PCR |
Blood |
2 x purple |
Hepatitis D (delta virus) IgG |
Blood |
Red |
Hepatitis D (delta virus) PCR |
Blood |
Purple |
Hepatitis E virus serology |
Blood |
Red |
Herpes simplex virus PCR |
CSF |
Sterile universal |
Herpes simplex virus II specific serology |
Blood |
Red |
HEV – see Hepatitis E virus |
|
|
HHV – see human herpes virus |
|
|
Histoplasma serology |
Blood |
Red |
HIV – see human immunodeficiency virus |
|
|
HSV – see herpes simplex virus |
|
|
HTLV – see human T-cell lymphotrophic virus |
|
|
Human herpes virus 6 PCR |
Blood |
Purple |
Human herpes virus 8 (HHV8) |
Blood |
Red |
Human immunodeficiency virus viral load (HIV viral load) |
Blood |
Purple |
Human immunodeficiency virus resistance (HIV resistance) |
Blood |
Purple |
Human T-cell lymphotrophic virus (HTLV) |
Blood |
Red |
HVS = high vaginal swab |
HVS |
Routine swab |
Hydatid cyst serology |
Blood |
Red |
Itraconazole |
Blood |
Red |
JC virus PCR – see polyoma virus |
|
|
Lamividine resistance |
Blood |
Purple |
Legionella antigen |
Urine |
Sterile universal |
Legionella serology |
Blood |
Red |
Leishmania serology |
Blood |
Red |
Leptospirosis (Weil's disease) |
Blood |
Red |
Lymes disease (borrelia) |
Blood |
Red |
Measles IgG |
Blood |
Red |
Measles IgM |
Blood |
Red |
Meningitis, viral |
CSF |
Sterile universal |
Faeces |
Faecal pot |
Throat |
Routine swab in viral transport media |
Meningococcal PCR |
Blood
CSF |
Purple |
Pleural fluid |
Sterile universal |
Mumps IgG |
Blood |
Red |
Mumps IgM |
Blood |
Red |
Papilloma virus PCR |
Biopsy
Urine |
Sterile universal |
Parvovirus |
Blood |
Red |
Parvovirus PCR |
Blood |
Purple |
PCR = polymerase chain reaction |
|
|
Pertussis culture |
Pernasal |
Special swab |
Pertussis PCR |
Pernasal |
Swab from children <1 year-old |
Pertussis serology |
Blood |
Red |
Pigeon precipitins |
Blood |
Red |
Pneumococcal antibodies |
Blood |
Red |
Pneumonia, viral – see atypical pneumonia screen |
Blood |
Red |
Polyoma virus (BK or JC virus) |
Blood |
Purple |
CSF |
Sterile universal |
Rabies |
Blood |
Red |
Rickettsial antibodies |
Blood |
Red |
Rifabutin assay |
Blood |
Red |
Rubella IgM |
Blood |
Red |
Schistosoma antibodies |
Blood |
Red |
Streptomycin assay |
Blood |
Red |
Strongyloides antibodies |
Blood |
Red |
Syphilis |
Blood |
Red |
CSF |
Sterile universal |
Taenia serology |
Blood |
Red |
Teicoplanin assay |
Blood |
Red |
Toxocara antibodies |
Blood |
Red |
Toxoplasma PCR |
Blood |
Purple |
CSF |
Sterile universal |
Toxoplasma IgM |
Blood |
Red |
Tropheryma whippleii (whipples) PCR |
Blood |
Purple |
Trypanosomiasis |
Blood |
Red |
Varicella zoster IgM (chicken pox, herpes zoster) |
Blood |
Red |
Varicella zoster IgG (chicken pox, herpes zoster) |
Blood |
Red |
Varicella zoster PCR |
CSF |
Sterile universal |
Viral isolation |
Swab,
tissue |
Viral transport media |
VZ – see Varicella zoster |
|
|
Weil's disease – see leptospirosis |
|
|
Whipples – see tropheryma whippleii |
|
|
Yersinia |
Blood |
Red |
|