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| 1. Which licenses and certifications does the PHL hold? |
| 2. What should I do if I have a question about a laboratory result? |
| 3. Why does the lab collect a venous blood sample rather than a finger prick sample? |
| 4. Which drugs does the lab test for? |
| 5. Who can pick up my blood alcohol or drug sample after the lab has analyzed it? |
| 6. How can I have a food product tested for contamination? |
| 7. What type of specimen is acceptable for rabies testing, how do I send the specimen to the labs, and how long to get test results? |
| 8. Why does it take so long to get the results of a tuberculosis culture? |
| 9. Can Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) test results be faxed or phoned from the lab? |
| 10. What is the Syphilis IgG ELISA test? |
| 11.
Is the SDA (Strand Displacement Amplification) test recommended for "test-of-cure" following treatment for Chlamydia or Gonorrhea?
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| 1. Which licenses and certifications does the PHL hold? | Back to top |
- Licensed under the federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) for the categories of Microbiology, Diagnostic Immunology, Chemistry (Toxicology);
- Registered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for blood lead testing;
- Accredited by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) for lead in dust, paint, and soil;
- Certified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for microbiological analysis of dairy products; and
- Accredited by FDA for shellfish microbiology and paralytic shellfish poison analysis.
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| 2. What should I do if I have a question about a laboratory result? | Back to top |
| Discuss patient test results with your primary care provider (PCP). Test results must be interpreted in conjunction with your medical history and clinical signs and symptoms - information the PHL does not possess. Your PCP can evaluate all this information and counsel you appropriately.
The PHL does answer questions about consumer protection and environmental test samples. |
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| 3. Why does the lab collect a venous blood sample rather than a finger prick sample? | Back to top |
| There is less chance of contamination with a venous blood sample. |
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| 4. Which drugs does the lab test for? | Back to top |
| Amphetamines, Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines, Cannabinoids (marijuana), Cocaine and Opiates. |
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| 5. Who can pick up my blood alcohol or drug sample after the lab has analyzed it? | Back to top |
| Only you, your attorney, or an employee of your attorney; not a family member. A photo ID must be presented. |
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| 6. How can I have a food product tested for contamination? | Back to top |
| Call your local health officer. |
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| 7. What type of specimen is acceptable for rabies testing, how do I send the specimen to the labs, and how long to get test results? | Back to top |
| Only brain tissue is appropriate for the rabies test in animals. The animals should not be clubbed or shot in the head. The skull must remain in tact and removed from the body. The specimen should be refrigerated immediately and delivered to the labs within 48 hours. Freezing is not recommended. Specimens should be double-bagged and sealed in heavy plastic bags. Place the bagged specimen in an insulated container and surround with frozen packs. To send domestic animal specimens to the labs, contact your veterinarian or local Animal Control Officer; to send wild animal specimens, contact the Fish and Game Department at 603-271-3421. Usually the test is completed within 24 hours of receipt at the DHHS labs. |
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| 8. Why does it take so long to get the results of a tuberculosis culture? | Back to top |
M. tuberculosis, the micro-organism that causes the disease tuberculosis (TB), is a slow-growing organism. It takes 42 days before the lab can say with any certainty that a culture is negative. The length of time for the organism to grow is dependent on the number of organisms in the specimen (usually sputum), factors related to the collection, storage and transport of the specimen, and the methods used at the lab. |
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| 9. Can Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) test results be faxed or phoned from the lab? | Back to top |
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HIV results can never be faxed from the Lab. In special circumstances results may be received over the phone by contacting Communicable Disease Control & Surveillance. |
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| 10. What is the Syphilis IgG ELISA test? | Back to top |
The Syphilis IgG ELISA is replacing the standard FTA-ABS-DS test for syphilis. It is a lab test used for the detection of IgG antibody to Treponema pallidum and serves as a confirmatory test for syphilis in conjunction with results of the non-treponemal RPR screening test. FTA-ABS-DS testing is still performed by the Public Health Laboratories when a special request for this testing is received from a Health Care Provider. |
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| 11.
Is the SDA (Strand Displacement Amplification) test recommended for "test-of-cure" following treatment for Chlamydia or Gonorrhea?
| Back to top |
| No. The BDProbeTec ET system cannot be used to assess therapeutic success or failure since nucleic acids from Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea may persist following antimicrobial therapy |
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