Cook Children's Medical Center Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine offers a broad range of diagnostic testing in both clinical and pathology services. Our laboratory is accredited by the College of American Pathologists and meets the highest standards for accuracy and quality of service. The CCMC Laboratory staff are exceptionally experienced and skilled in processing test samples and analyzing results. We welcome questions and are happy to provide consultations with pathologists, clinical Ph.D.'s, and/or laboratory personnel.
This directory contains test information for testing performed at Cook Children’s Medical Center (Fort Worth) as well as testing referred to outside laboratories. To access test information:
Enter a full or partial test name into the search box of the keypad and click Search, or
Search by selecting the appropriate letter from the keypad and click Search.
For a list of all tests, leave the text box blank and click Search.
If you have any questions or need additional help ordering a test, please contact the laboratory at 682-885-5300.Order of Draw & Tube Inversions
Draw tubes in the recommended order according to tube type (vacutainer vs. microtainer).
Immediately after filling,gently invert tubes the recommended number of times below.
The air bubble in the tube should rise and fall to the top and bottom as 1 inversion.
Allow vacutainers to fill using vacuum pressure – do not force fill.
For slow capillary collections, cap and invert microtainers mid-collection to prevent clotting.
Vacutainer
Microtainer Specimen Labeling & Transport
All specimens sent to the laboratory MUST be labeled in the presence of the patient. Affix the label to the specimen tube or container before scanning the label to complete the collection in Epic. During Epic downtimes, the date/time and collector ID must be written on the label.
Get it straight, reduce the wait. Labels must be intact and readable. Apply one label, include additional labels in the bag.
Label towards the TOP.
Barcode STRAIGHT.
Leave a WINDOW – “the hospital gown look”
Blue Top Fill Guide
Blood to anticoagulant ratio is critical for accurate coagulation test results. Over- and under-filled tubes will be rejected.
When using a winged blood collection set (butterfly) for venipuncture and the blue top tube is the first specimen to be collected in the order of draw, use a non-additive discard tube to fill the tubing’s “dead space” with blood. The discard tube does not need to be filled, and should be discarded after collection.
Determine Volume to Collect
When determining volume of blood and number of tubes to collect, consider the patient’s hematocrit. The higher the patient’s hematocrit, the less plasma available in the sample after processing.
Epic will automatically combine orders onto a single specimen when possible, but keep in mind some orders must be collected as separate specimens (ex. Blood Bank and PCR specimens).Heel Sticks
Consider the following tips for heel stick collection:
Welcome to the CCMC Laboratory Test Directory
Cook Children's Medical Center Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine offers a broad range of diagnostic testing in both clinical and pathology services. Our laboratory is accredited by the College of American Pathologists and meets the highest standards for accuracy and quality of service. The CCMC Laboratory staff are exceptionally experienced and skilled in processing test samples and analyzing results. We welcome questions and are happy to provide consultations with pathologists, clinical Ph.D.'s, and/or laboratory personnel.
This directory contains test information for testing performed at Cook Children’s Medical Center (Fort Worth) as well as testing referred to outside laboratories. To access test information:
Enter a full or partial test name into the search box of the keypad and click Search, or
Search by selecting the appropriate letter from the keypad and click Search.
For a list of all tests, leave the text box blank and click Search.
If you have any questions or need additional help ordering a test, please contact the laboratory at 682-885-5300.Order of Draw & Tube Inversions
Draw tubes in the recommended order according to tube type (vacutainer vs. microtainer).
Immediately after filling,gently invert tubes the recommended number of times below.
The air bubble in the tube should rise and fall to the top and bottom as 1 inversion.
Allow vacutainers to fill using vacuum pressure – do not force fill.
For slow capillary collections, cap and invert microtainers mid-collection to prevent clotting.
Vacutainer
Microtainer Specimen Labeling & Transport
All specimens sent to the laboratory MUST be labeled in the presence of the patient. Affix the label to the specimen tube or container before scanning the label to complete the collection in Epic. During Epic downtimes, the date/time and collector ID must be written on the label.
Get it straight, reduce the wait. Labels must be intact and readable. Apply one label, include additional labels in the bag.
Label towards the TOP.
Barcode STRAIGHT.
Leave a WINDOW – “the hospital gown look”
Blue Top Fill Guide
Blood to anticoagulant ratio is critical for accurate coagulation test results. Over- and under-filled tubes will be rejected.
When using a winged blood collection set (butterfly) for venipuncture and the blue top tube is the first specimen to be collected in the order of draw, use a non-additive discard tube to fill the tubing’s “dead space” with blood. The discard tube does not need to be filled, and should be discarded after collection.
Determine Volume to Collect
When determining volume of blood and number of tubes to collect, consider the patient’s hematocrit. The higher the patient’s hematocrit, the less plasma available in the sample after processing.
Epic will automatically combine orders onto a single specimen when possible, but keep in mind some orders must be collected as separate specimens (ex. Blood Bank and PCR specimens).Heel Sticks
Consider the following tips for heel stick collection:
