TABLE 2.

Microbiology rapid response laboratory functions and test menus^* at Calgary Laboratory Services

Initial specimen accession for tracking purposes Specimen quality assessment Specimen rejection of inappropriately collected or poor quality specimens Specimen separation and aliquotting Packaging and shipping of tests to a reference laboratory STAT or urgent Gram stains (ie, sterile fluids and tissues) Urinalysis Cell counts and chemistry analysis of sterile fluids (ie, cerebrospinal fluids and tissues) Specimen tracking of overdue reports Bordetella species cultures (Alberta Children’s Hospital) Rapid virology (rotavirus/respiratory syncytial virus) (Alberta Children’s Hospital only) Clinical liaison to users at the hospital Communication to the high volume laboratory Entry of reports into the hospital LIS† Hard copy report sorting for distribution

^*All functions and tests are performed at each RRL unless otherwise indicated;

^†Before the installation of regional laboratory information system (LIS)