Do's and Don'ts for Practitioners
Do's
- DO… call it the newborn screening, metabolic panel, heel-stick or dried blood spot test
- DO… accurately complete ALL the information requested on the card
- DO… remember specimen card is a legal document and to record the name of the person collecting the specimen
- DO… collect the 1st specimen between 24-48 hours after delivery
- DO… collect the 2nd specimen between 10-14 days of age
- DO… practice aseptic collection techniques by:
- wearing gloves and using sterile lancets
- avoiding contamination with urine, feces, or other interfering substances
- fill each circle with a SINGLE application of blood allowing blood to soak to the back of the filter paper
- DO… double check the blood specimen is satisfactory for testing before sending out to the lab
- DO… air dry card for 2-4 hours before closing the flap
- DO… send card to the State Newborn Screening lab as soon as it is dry and no later than 24 hours after collection
- DO… call us for high priority specimens that require STAT testing (i.e. clinical symptoms or family history of newborn screening disorder)
Don'ts
- DON'T… call it the "PKU test"
- DON'T… wait to mail more than one day of specimens ("batching" cards can delay testing & ultimately diagnosis & treatment of babies with life-threatening disorders)
- DON'T… collect blood <24 hours after delivery (unless HA/TPN, antibiotics, steroids, transfusion will be administered, or the baby will be transferred to another hospital)
- DON'T… use EDTA tubes to collect blood (purple top)
- DON'T… use EDTA tubes to collect blood (purple top)
- DON'T… expose the card to heat, sunlight or humidity, or place in plastic bags
- DON'T… contaminate or scratch the filter paper
- DON'T… collect blood on both sides of the filter paper
- DON'T… layer successive drops of blood on the same circle
- DON'T… check Multiple Births box if baby is a single birth