Referring Healthcare Providers
Standardized intake pathways, specimen handling parameters, and equipment specifications for hospitals and licensed physicians partnering with ECUSTA Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory.
Step-by-Step Specimen Referral Pathway
Complete Paper Requisition
Use your hospital's standard outpatient lab requisition form or request an ECUSTA referral form. Electronic requisitions are not yet active.
Prepare & Package Specimen
Collect into the appropriate tube type. Label all containers with patient initials or accession code, and collection date. Maintain cold-chain if required.
Transport to ECUSTA
Deliver to the Health Sciences Complex main reception (Ground Floor). Couriers using institutional vehicles should proceed to the Specimen Receiving window.
Accession & Verification
Staff verify specimen condition, tube type, volume, and requisition completeness. An accession number is assigned and confirmed to the submitting provider.
Results Dispatch
Reports are returned by telephone (critical/urgent values) or through secure PDF dispatch to the designated hospital coordinator upon sign-off.
Equipment Fleet, Analytical Principles & Turnaround Times
Clinical parameters provided to assist medical directors, ordering physicians, and laboratory pathologists in test requisition and sample volume planning.
| Division | Analyzer Platform | Primary Principle | Specimen / Tube | Micro-Sampling | Analytical TAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Chemistry | Beckman Coulter DxC 700 AU & AU480 | Spectrophotometry & Ion-Selective Electrode (ISE) Potentiometry | SST / Gold Gel (Serum) or Heparin (Plasma); EDTA for HbA1c | 1–25 µL per test | < 45 min (STAT) / 2–4h (Routine) |
| Hematology | Beckman Coulter DxH 900 | Enhanced Coulter Principle, VCS 360 3D Laser Scatter & DataFusion | K2/K3 EDTA (Purple top) | Standard pediatric / adult draw | < 30 min (STAT) / 1–2h (Routine) |
| Automated Immunoassays | Beckman Coulter UniCel DxI 800 & Access 2 | Chemiluminescent Detection & Magnetic Particle Separation | SST / Gold Gel (Serum) | 10–50 µL per assay | 1–3h (Routine) / < 60 min (STAT Cardiac) |
| Molecular & HPV | Multiplex Real-Time PCR & GeneXpert® MTB/RIF | TaqMan Real-Time Fluorogenic PCR & Closed Microfluidic Cartridges | Cervical swab in LBC vial (HPV); EDTA plasma (Viral Load); Sputum (TB) | Assay-specific extraction volume | 4–24h (PCR) / < 2h (GeneXpert) |
Specimen Tube & Container Reference
All molecular (PCR and HPV) specimens must be labelled with a coded accession number only — never patient names — when transported to our facility. A matching requisition form reconciles identity on receipt.
Specimen Transport & Cold-Chain
- Maintain 2–8°C cold chain for routine serum, plasma, and EDTA whole-blood samples
- Molecular specimens: transport on wet ice or dry ice per specific test requirement
- Hard copies of verified requisition forms must accompany every courier batch
- Institutional couriers: deliver to the Dedicated Specimen Receiving Window (Ground Floor)