| SUBMITTING
SAMPLES FOR EXAMINATION |
| Please discuss with the lab BEFORE sending in any samples.
The receiving pathologist will be expecting it so that the chain of custody
can be maintained and the pathologist has some background information. If
the sample may be used in litigation, please inform the lab in advance.
Try to deliver the samples in person, otherwise send by courier, or recorded
delivery. Be sure to be clear as to the analytical requirements, what your
instructions are and that you have sent the correct samples. |
| NOTE: IT IS ALWAYS BEST TO LIAISE WITH THE LAB FIRST |
| DO NOT SEND |
| 1. |
autolysed tissue |
| 2. |
frozen tissues for histology |
| 3. |
bacterial or dry swabs for virology |
| 4. |
dry swabs at all |
| 5. |
unlabelled tissues |
| 6. |
aged or unpreserved tissues |
| 7. |
any fish tissue by post/courier unless preserved on ice |
Then only fresh tissue. Fish that have been dead for hours
lying in a pond are generally unsuitable.
DO NOT request “LOOK FOR POISONS”, especially if
you have sent one of the above. Analysis for non pecific, “potential”,
poisoning is a waste of time, money and effort and likely to yield negative
results. |
| SAMPLING |
| In cases where the agent is unknown, the following is a guide,
but in all cases, ring the lab first to check on current requirements. |
| 1) Live large animals |
20 ml heparin blood. Vomit (if any) stomach or ruminal contents.
Urine.
Retain 20 g epidermal tissue i.e. feathers hair etc. |
| 2) Dead large animals |
100 g liver.
500 g stomach or ruminal contents.
Kidney.
100 g supra renal fat.
Blood clot (intra cardiac).
Urine.
Brain.
Epidermal tissue as above. |
| 3) Small animals alive |
as per large animal but proportionally less. |
| 4) Small animal dead |
whole carcasE if possible. |
| Generally, stomach contents may be useful in cases of acute
poisoning. Stomach and intestinal contents, rarely yield useful information
in chronic cases, or those that survive 3?4 days. Liver, kidney and fat
tissues, are usually the tissues of choice, but, thymus, lymph node, spleen,
lung, may be useful, for viral isolation, in some cases. |
| HORSE DOPING |
| 3 x 10 ml, heparinised blood, with a further two, if independent
analysis is likely to be requested. In addition, 50 ml urine is desirable,
if available. At examinations for purchase, if all parties agree, 3 x 10
ml, heparin samples, should be taken. One to be analysed, one separated
and stored and the third one to the vendor. Samples can be screened by ELISA,
but in legal cases, positive findings have to be confirmed by chromatography. |
| PLANT POISONING |
| A complete specimen of the whole plant, with leaves, flowers
and fruit if possible. When the specimens are in bales, samples should be
removed, if possible, from several different sites within the bale(s). |
| WATER POLLUTION |
| Besides samples from adjacent to the site of the incident
and from the suspected source, distant samples of water should also be taken.
In still water, these should be from a distant part of the water. In running
water, 50 meters, above and below, the site of the incident For further
details it is advisable to read LORGUE et al, Clinical Veterinary Toxicology,
Oxford Blackwell Science. Contact the laboratory, to discuss particular
requirements, or one of the following two:- |
VETERINARY
POISONS INFORMATION SERVICE
Tel: 020 7635 9195 (London) Tel: 0113 243 0715 (Leeds) |
The Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) was
officially launched in April 1992 by the London and Leeds branches of the
National Poisons Information Service. It provides an information source,
with 24 hour availability, to veterinarians and animal welfare organisations
to aid their management of cases of acute poisoning in animals. However,
given the limited clinical veterinary toxicology information currently available
the service has started to collect and collate case-data for the majority
of cases referred in an attempt to build a data base of clinical veterinary
toxicology.
Unlimited access to both branches of the VPIS is permitted to any veterinary
practice or other authorised user on payment of an annual subscription fee;
the amount dependent on the number of veterinarians in the practice. Subscribers
are issued with a membership number that needs to be quoted at the start
of each enquiry.
The VPIS is staffed by trained information specialists and pharmacists with
ready access to a large variety of information sources. These include veterinary
toxicology textbooks, past case reports from the journals, results and findings
of animal laboratory work performed during drug and product testing, human
toxicology databases including some that contain animal data and also its
own data base of past case records. Additionally the VPIS has access to
a large library of data sheets provided, on a confidential basis, by manufacturers
throughout the UK. These list the compositions, packaging details, physico-chemical
characteristics and, in some cases, toxicological characteristics of many
products allowing assessment of the toxic hazard by the VPIS staff. The
service has a large number of ‘expert’ contacts to whomreferral
maybe made. The laboratory services of the Medical Toxicology Unit are available
to VPIS subscribers also.
For further information please contact
VPIS (London) Medical
Toxicology Unit, Avonley Road, London SE14 5ER
Tel: 020 7635 9195
Fax: 020 7771 5309
email: vpis@gstt.nhs.uk
VPIS (Leeds) The General
Infirmary, Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3EX
Tel: 0113 245 0530
Fax: 0113 244 5849 |
|