Babesia Thick and Thin Smear (See separate order for R/O Malaria)

UW-MT: Request STAT and transport immediately to the Microbiology Lab. Blood in EDTA (lavender top) should be received within 1 hour of collection and not more than 4 hours after. If EDTA cannot be transported within this time frame, send 4 stained thin smears (Wright’s or Giemsa stain) plus the EDTA tube at ambient temp. Transport slides in a sturdy container labeled BIOHAZARD. Thin smears will be read STAT and thick smears will be read within 24 hours.

HMC: Request STAT and transport immediately to the Microbiology Lab. Blood in EDTA (lavender top) should be received within 1 hour of collection and not more than 4 hours after. If EDTA cannot be transported within this timeframe, send 4 stained thin smears (Wright’s or Giemsa stain) plus the EDTA tube at refrigerated temp. Transport slides in a sturdy container labeled BIOHAZARD. One Wright’s (or Giemsa) stained thin smear will be read STAT; additional STAT smears within 24 hours require approval of Lab Med Resident or Micro Lab Director. Giemsa thick smears & (if Wright’s stain thin smear read STAT) Giemsa thin smears are read on the next (non-holiday) weekday.

UW-NW: Request STAT and transport immediately to the UW-NW main clinical laboratory. Thin smears should be made by UWMC-NW Hematology with in 4 hours but can be prepared up to 24 hours after collection. Send the smears and the blood sample at room temperature to UWMC Montlake microbiology. If the specimen is between 24 and 72 hours old, do not make smears but send specimen to UWMC Montlake microbiology. Reject the test request if the sample if over 72 hours old.

UW-MT Instructions: Accession and process in Microbiology

HMC Instructions: Accession in Microbiology (or SPS midnight shift). Send specimen and requisition copy to Hematology, where 4 thin and 4 thick smears are made and forwarded to Microbiology with the requisition copy.

UW-NW Instructions: Accession sample at UW-NW and label STAT. Deliver sample to UWMC-NW Hematology to prepare the thin smears. Smears and original tube need to be sent to Microbiology at Montlake on the next courier.