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Sputum sample mailing
To Mac patients who mail sputum samples to NJH lab. I have sent my sputum samples to NJH monthly via overnight ups service ($98) and with the last one I sent may 24 I received my respiratory culture results with a long note that it might not be reliable and should be seen with caution because it was received more than 24 hours after the collection and in the temperature more than 4 degrees F. I checked with ups and NJH received the packet at 9:45 am the next day ( I collected it at 7am).and I never before sent it on dry ice. Do you know if the rules changed? I followed the mailing instructions as always.
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I am sorry it’s 4 degrees Celsius of course. I was lucky to have somebody answer my call at NJH lab And was told its their policy to write in notes when there is more than 24 hour time collection to receiving. And there is no need to send it on dry ice. So in other words the sample was good to be processed for respiratory culture and AFB. Such a relief
I have been sending in samples for years and the last 2 times they said they couldn’t process mine because it arrived too late. I’ve sent all these the exact same way so I’m not sure what’s going on. Their advice was to send it on a Monday or Tuesday and be sure it’s overnight. Just sent another so we’ll see.
I talked personally with my National Jewish Infectious Disease's MA/NP and she said that, although each sample has the warning attached to the result, they do not follow that protocol there and the samples are still viable, especially if NJH receives the sample within 24 hours.