specimen label

specimen label

A means of uniquely identifying the source of a clinical specimen sent for laboratory analysis.

Patient care

The label should include the full name of the patient, as well as additional identifiers such as the patient's date of birth, the date the laboratory specimen was obtained, the patient care unit, or the last four digits of the patient's social security number. For specimens sent to the blood bank, additional identifiers are required, including the signature or the initials of the person who obtained the specimen.