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 |
|
