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Laboratory

Our laboratory holds a CLIA Certificate of Compliance with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). The laboratory is staffed with a highly trained, multidisciplinary staff dedicated to the comfort and safety of our patients.

Our laboratory provides accurate and timely results for all patients including, inpatients, outpatients, and those being seen by care providers in our Family Medicine Specialists clinic and emergency room. Patients being seen in our Elwood or Bertrand clinics will have lab work brought to our laboratory at Lexington Regional Health Center.

We work closely with the staff and pathologists at Methodist Pathology Center in Omaha, to provide a full range of laboratory testing for our patients so you don’t have to leave town to receive exceptional care.

Fasting may be required for certain blood tests. Your provider will inform you if fasting is necessary. Fasting is done before tests to ensure that test results are accurate. Eating or drinking before tests may lead to higher levels of nutrients in the blood and could lead to a wrong diagnosis.

  • 8-hour fast (for routine chemistry tests): No food or drink (except water) after midnight, or 8 hours prior to testing.
  • 12-hour fast (for lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoprotein): Nothing should be eaten for 12 hours prior to specimen collection. Your evening meal should contain no fatty foods or alcohol. Fast should not exceed 14 hours. Please continue to drink water while fasting, as this keeps you hydrated and helps to improve the blood collection process.

Information:

  • Antacids, barium bismuth, anti-diarrhea medication or oily laxatives should not be used prior to collection of the stool specimen.
  • Collect the sample in a dry, wide mouth plastic container or a large plastic bag with is placed over the toilet opening. DO NOT USE STOOL THAT HAS BEEN PASSED INTO THE TOILET OR WHEN IT IS MIXED (CONTAMINATED) WITH URINE.
  • Select a portion of stool and transfer to the appropriate conatiner. Multiple vials can be filled form one stool sample.
  • Parapak® and Total Fix containers are special kits that are used for preserving and transporting stool specimens. The liquids contained in the kits are poisonous so it is extremely important to handle the containers with care. Do not drink the solution and keep the kits out of reach of children. The Parapak® and Total Fix conditioners have a designated fill line. Add enough stool to reach the line but do not overfill. Recap tightly and shake vigorously to mix the stool with the liquid.
  • Parapak® (green vial) and Total Fix (black vial) should be kept at room temperature. All other containers should be refrigerated and kept cool during delivery. Specimens should be delivered within 24 hours. If you are not returning samples the same day as your visit. PLEASE CHECK IN AT THE BUSINESS OFFICE.
  • Label all stool containers with your name, date of birth, date and time of stool collection. Place all containers in a Ziploc bag.
  • Dispose of all collection materials in a closed lid container or bag them before disposing and then wash your hands.

Common Stool Tests:

  • C. Diff (Clostridium Difficile Toxin reflex to PCR)- [Sterile Container]– keep in refrigerator
  • Culture Stool (includes Enteric Pathogens, Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter and Shiga toxin)- [Vial has Green Lid]– keep at room temperature once in vial
  • O & P Screen (Giardia Ag & Crptosporidium Ag)- [Vial has Black Lid]– keep at room temperature once in vial
  • WBC Fecal- [Sterile Container]– must be delivered to the hospital within 1 hour

If you have any questions about your stool test, call your provider who ordered the test or the Laboratory at (308) 324-8592.

Your doctor will inform you if a 24-hour urine collection is necessary for testing. This test involves saving all of your urine in a special container for 24 hours.

Information:

  • You first must empty your bladder and discard the urine. The collection will start after this is done. Save all of your urine for 24 hours or for the amount of time instructed by your nurse/lab personnel. Empty your bladder at the end of the 24-hour time period. Save this urine as part of the collection.
  • When urinating, use the special container or urinal given by your nurse/lab personnel. If you are a patient in the hospital, the nursing staff with measure the urine and pour it into a special collection container.
  • For some of the tests, preservatives such as strong acids have been added to the collection containers. Avoid breathing the fumes and contact with skin. If contact occurs, flush with large amounts of water.
  • Refrigeration of some urine specimens is required for certain tests. Diet can often affect the results of a 24-hour urine sample. Please eat and drink only what is given to you with meals or by the nurses. Do not eat or drink such things as candy, soft drinks, etc. between meals. Chewing tobacco can also affect the specimen so please refrain from using it. You may be given a special diet before the test, or you may be asked to eat your “normal” diet.
  • Some 24-hour urine collections require a blood sample to be obtained during the same 24-hour period as the urine collection. If you are having this test done as an outpatient, you will need to bring the urine specimen so the blood test can be done at this time.
  • You should drink your normal amounts of fluid during the collection period. Too much fluid will increase your urinary output during the collection period. If for any reason there has been a loss of urine or an excessive fluid intake, please inform your nurse/lab personnel.

Contact

Phone: (308) 324-8592
For your convenience, we are open seven days a week. We are happy to answer any questions you may have.