Week 4

Hello Everyone!
I’m Nyzah.

For the first two weeks of SIP, I’m attached to the central processing (CP) are whereby specimens were sorted out, processed and ordered. Specimens usually will arrive in the pneumatic tube via the pneumatic system. The pneumatic system connects all wards, specialist clinics and operating theatre. Sometimes, the healthcare workers will also dispatched the specimens to the clinical lab personally. This is done by passing it through a window. Medical technologist will then attend to the specimens.

The specimens are then processed by removing the request forms from the kangaroo pouch and stapling it to the Ziploc bag with the specimen in it. Specimens ranging from plain tube, EDTA tube, fluoride tubes, urine samples, stools and blood gas specimens are processed there. For microbiology specimens, the specimens are placed inside a red plastic box and for histopathology specimens into the green plastic box. This is because microbiology laboratory is out of bound due to the H1N1 cases and histopathology due to renovations. The other specimens are then placed on the CP workstations whereby the medical technologists or the laboratory clerk will order the tests wanted in the Laboratory Information System (LIS). Then, specimens that come in tubes (usually blood) are removed from the Ziploc bags. Barcode are pasted on it and the details of the patients are pasted on the workstation forms. For other specimens other than tubes, the barcodes are pasted on the Ziploc bags. The person pasting the barcodes have the responsibility of checking the names and the I/C number of the patient against the labeled tubes or other samples. The specimens are then dispatched to various workstation i.e. hematology, biochemistry, etc.

If the person is unsure about the tests that are need to be done, it is necessary for them to call the doctor or the staff nurse in charge so as to avoid confusion and long turnaround time.

Nurul Nyzah
0702888I