Transporting these specimens must be done according to your organization’s protocol and any federal, state, or local requirements. Your supervisor will provide this information. See Table 1 for common transportation requirements for various specimen types.
Table 1. Transportation Requirements for Various Specimen Types.| Specimen Type | Transportation Requirements |
| Whole blood, serum, and plasma | Transported in plastic (and sometimes glass) tubes depending on the test requested. Most laboratories have replaced glass collection tubes with plastic tubes. The exception to this is the yellow top ACD tube. The tube is a 10 mL tube containing a large amount of liquid anticoagulant (used to prevent the blood from clotting) called ACD. | 
|
| Body fluids | Includes urine and sputum, have containers that may be plastic cups with screw tops or plastic conical tubes with a screw top. Occasionally, a body fluid (such as pleural or paracentesis fluid) will be collected in a 200 mL glass vacuum bottle due to the large specimen volume. These vacuum bottles are glass (rather than plastic) to maintain the specimen quality. | 
|
| Cytology specimens | Includes cervical PAP smears on glass slides placed into a rigid wall slide carrier. |  |
| Histology specimens | This includes tissues, placentas, and other body parts, as well as glass slides for pathology diagnosis. These specimens may be transported in formalin, a hazardous chemical that must be handled carefully. Formalin is a potential carcinogen, meaning it can cause cancer in humans. |  |
Immunohematology specimens
| It is also called transfusion medicine or blood bank specimens. These may be specimens collected in 10 mL pink-top plastic tubes, bags of blood (500 mL), or blood products (250 mL or less) in a heavyweight plastic bag. |  |
| Microbiology specimens | Includes blood cultures, sputum, swabs, and plastic cups for feces or stool collection kits. Blood culture bottles are manufactured in plastic and double-thick glass, and glass bottles can break upon impact if dropped or handled carelessly. |  |
Urine specimens
| Usually collected in cups or tubes that are plastic. Some cups have a stainless-steel needle in the screw top cap. It is covered with a paper shield before use. This needle is a hazardous sharp and should be handled with caution. |  |
