Specimen Collection, Transport, and Processing: Virology*

The importance of appropriate specimen collection and handling to ensure accurate laboratory results cannot be overstated. This aspect of the preanalytical phase of laboratory testing is often the most vulnerable part of the testing process and accounts for many of the errors in laboratory diagnostics. The preanalytical steps for viral diagnostics involving specimen selection, collection, transport, and processing are described in this chapter. It is important for the laboratory to ensure that many of these variables are controlled to maintain specimen integrity. The laboratory should serve as a resource for clinicians and those collecting patient specimens to ensure that only quality samples are collected, processed, and tested and that results are reliable and meaningful.