Laboratory specimen

A laboratory specimen is sometimes a biological specimen of a medical patient's tissue, fluids, or other samples used for laboratory analysis to assist in differential diagnosis or staging of a disease process.

General types of cellular tissue extraction include: For a given medical process, a certain volume of specimen must be taken from the patient.

[4] Some specimen types also require special treatment, such as immediate mixture with an additive, or storage at a certain temperature.

Laboratory and healthcare personnel should follow industry standard practices regarding sterile technique and any precaution regarding hypodermic needles.

All biological material should be treated as potentially hazardous and in doing so protocols regarding the disposal of the specimen should be strictly followed to maintain the safety of both patients and health care workers.