It’s the season of sunshine and blooms which also means it can be a season of sneezing, itching, and a lot of trouble getting a good breath in for some.
⇒Are you prepared to meet the needs of your patients that may be suffering from some of these symptoms?
⇒Are you well versed in the difference between a sensitivity and a clinical allergy and how you can differentiate between the two?
⇒Do you know the resources we have at Corewell Health to assist in these determinations?
Tissue specimens less than 0.1cm may yield insufficient results if submitted for Tissue Pathology. To make the best use of diagnostic tissue material please follow the below guidelines:
| Biopsy Size | Order Code | Test | Preservative |
| <0.1cm | LAB2111263 | Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) Cytology | *CytoLyt solution |
| >0.1cm | LAB8 | Tissue Pathology | 10% Formalin |
*Place entire specimen in CytoLyt. Do not attempt to make smears from specimen.
Please contact the Corewell Health Pathology Department at (616)267-2622 Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm, or the Corewell Health Laboratory Call Center at (616)774-7721, 24/7 to speak with a Pathologist.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) primarily infects pediatric patients, but occasionally infects adults and may be of particular concern for the elderly and immunocompromised. Corewell Health Laboratories offers two tests for RSV. A rapid antigen test may be used to confirm RSV diagnosis in pediatric patients. This test is not approved by the FDA for testing adult patients, so tests will be cancelled if ordered on an off-label age group. There are no age restrictions for RSV testing by way of a molecular panel that also includes COVID and influenza as viruses with overlapping symptoms.
| Test name | Epic Test ID | Methodology | Specimen | Age restriction |
| RSV Rapid | LAB495 | Antigen | Nasopharyngeal (NP) swab | Approved for patients 0 – 18 years of age |
| COVID, Influenza, RSV PCR | LAB1230746 | Molecular/PCR | Nasopharyngeal (NP) swab | No age restriction |
Effective Tuesday, September 27, 2022, the following laboratories will be going live with the GeneXpert Xpress for COVID-19 testing: Big Rapids, Gerber, Ludington, Pennock, Reed City, United, and Zeeland.
Please ensure your sites are stocked with the correct collection devices listed below in preparation of the changeover.
Effective September 21st between 10 am and noon, laboratory results that are either printed or faxed will be updated to display test groupings in an order specialized to each type of result report.
For example, AP specific Result Reports will now display AP related test results near the top of the report, with additional results below.
For questions and inquiries, please use the “contact us” link above.
From collection to transport, Spectrum Health Laboratories must have quality specimens to produce accurate results you can trust. A quality specimen is one that has been collected and transported, keeping specimen integrity and patient identification intact. It is important to remind patients to carefully follow all collection and transportation instructions to ensure the sample usable and not tainted.
Please help remind patients:
♦ Submit all specimens as soon as collection is completed. Many tests are time sensitive.
♦ After collection, make sure lid is secured and fastened evenly, as leaky specimens will be rejected.
♦ Keep the container upright at all times.
♦ If a second container is needed, the patient should obtain a second container from the laboratory or draw site. Do not use home containers (i.e. butter container) or bags, as these may contaminate the specimen.
♦ Specimen is labeled clearly with
◊ Patient’s full legal name
◊ Date of birth
◊ Date and time of collection
Warning: Some kits contain preservatives. Please let patients know to not drink, ingest or inhale fumes. If disposal is needed please contact the laboratory. In case of skin or eye contact, irritation, or swallowing call poison control as soon as possible: 800.222.1222.
For more information, please review “Laboratory Specimen Home Collection Document” or the Lab Catalog for more information.
Effective May 9th, 2022, Spectrum Health Laboratory’s Microbiology Department will no longer be preemptively setting up cultures on swabs without a source and order, when received on Thursdays through Sundays and Holidays. Note: The specimen will still be held, but cultures will not be set up in anticipation of the order.
The following information was updated in the Lab Catalog.
The following information was updated in the Lab Catalog.
Several tests performed by Spectrum Health Laboratories and our Reference Laboratories (Mayo Clinic Lab) require or recommend fasting.
Please check the Lab Catalog prior to sending your patient to a draw site or sending a patient’s specimens to the lab. Help remind patients to arrive fasting if fasting tests are required.
Spectrum Health Laboratories recommends:
No caloric or caffeine intake for 8-12 hours prior to testing. Do not eat or drink anything except normal amounts of plain water. This also includes no smoking, chewing gum, candy, cough drops, etc. Some tests also require no alcoholic beverages for 24-48 hours prior to testing.
Take normal dosages of medications, unless the provider has instructed otherwise.
Results may be inaccurate if fasting was not done prior to the test and may lead to improper diagnosis or treatment. Testing will need to be repeated if patient was not fasting properly before testing.