1ST DRAFT Spec C/T MC

Safety In the OR

main campus Certified/Tech Competency 2026

Specimen Handling

Objectives

• Recognize proper handling of specimens and containers, including the use of gloves, appropriate labeling to prevent misidentification, and appropriate packaging for delivery to the destination lab (label appearance, additional information needing to be written on label, and the need for a requisition).
• Define the roles of the surgical team (circulator, scrub person, and surgeon) in ensuring accurate specimen naming and patient identification (including the two-person verification process between the scrub person and circulator).
• Discuss special circumstances with specimens that would require additional steps or specific processing considerations (forensic specimens, oncologic breast specimens, muscle biopsies, prostate biopsies, etc.)
• Identify common errors in specimen handling, labeling, and verification, and apply strategies to prevent such errors through attention to detail, adherence to protocols, and teamwork.

Laboratory Techniques

Specimen Handling Basics

• Save all specimens.
• If you are unsure if tissue is a specimen, ask the surgeon!

• Each specimen container must hold only one specimen.
• Do not pre-label containers or tubes.
• Label only one container or tube at a time.

Specimen Handling Basics

• The circulator and scrub person are responsible for performing positive patient identification and labeling the specimen correctly according to the name the surgeon provides
• This is ALWAYS a two-person verification between the circulator and the scrub person:
• The circulator creates the label
• The scrub person validates the specimen name and the patient information against the Flightboard before passing to the circulator
• The circulator immediately affixes the specimen label

Special Situations

• Muscle biopsies are sent fresh to Anatomic Pathology
• Do not add saline to the specimen cup
• Do not put it in formalin

Special Situations

• In cases where multiple small specimens are obtained, priorities for the scrub person are:
• To manage those specimens in such a way that they do not get mixed up
• To monitor the collection and report if no tissue was obtained
• Place biopsies in formalin

Try Again

A two-person verification is required (and moving over the sterile field is not ok).

Interactive Question

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Try Again

Cultures, frozen specimens, and muscle biopsies are types of specimens that should never be introduced to formalin.

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Interactive Question

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Try Again

Clarify with the surgeon on the specimen name as needed, and do not hand off the specimen until patient sticker and specimen name are correct on the label.

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Interactive Question

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Try Again

Keeping specimens organized, noting the specimen name given by the surgeon, and verifying the patient identity and specimen name as the circulator has written it are priorities in specimen management for the scrub person.

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Interactive Question

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Try Again

When testing occurs in different labs, there have to be separate specimens. While you may not know if the tests are in different labs, you can ask about it, prompting the team to send separate specimens if needed.

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Interactive Question

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References

[SOP] Handling of Surgical Specimens

[Policy] Submission of Surgical Specimens to Pathology

[Tip Sheet] Prostate Biopsy Specimens

Review: Will have to re-link due to PowerPolicy go-live after 10/27

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Course Complete!

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