The specimen must be properly and carefully selected
The specimen must be properly and carefully collected
The material should be collected from site where the suspected pathogen is most likely to be found
Whenever possible, specimen should be obtained before anti microbial therapy begun
The acute stage of the disease is the most appropriate time to collect most specimen
Specimen collection should be performed with care and tact to avoid harming the patient
A sufficient quality of the specimen must be obtained to provide enough material for all required diagnostic tests
All specimen should be placed or collected into a sterile container to prevent contamination
Specimen should be protected from heat and cold and promptly delivered to the laboratory
Hazardous specimen must be handled with even greater care to avoid contamination of the courier, patients and health care professionals
Whenever possible sterile or dispose specimen container properly
The specimen container should be properly labeled
