Investigation of cerebrospinal fluid

NATIONAL STANDARD METHOD
INVESTIGATION OF CEREBROSPINAL FLUID
BSOP 27
Issued by Standards Unit, Evaluations and Standards Laboratory Centre for Infections
Fulltext

INDEX
STATUS OF NATIONAL STANDARD METHODS…………………………………………………………………….. 2
INDEX…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
AMENDMENT PROCEDURE………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
SCOPE OF DOCUMENT ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5
INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5
TECHNICAL INFORMATION/LIMITATIONS …………………………………………………………………………… 10
1 SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS …………………………………………………………………………………………. 11
1.1 SPECIMEN COLLECTION ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11
1.2 SPECIMEN TRANSPORT AND STORAGE ……………………………………………………………………………. 11
1.3 SPECIMEN PROCESSING………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11
2 SPECIMEN COLLECTION ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 12
2.1 OPTIMAL TIME OF COLLECTION ……………………………………………………………………………………… 12
2.2 CORRECT SPECIMEN TYPE AND METHOD OF COLLECTION ……………………………………………………. 12
2.3 ADEQUATE QUANTITY AND APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF SPECIMENS ………………………………………… 12
3 SPECIMEN TRANSPORT AND STORAGE ……………………………………………………………………… 12
3.1 TIME BETWEEN SPECIMEN COLLECTION AND PROCESSING…………………………………………………… 12
3.2 SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS TO MINIMISE DETERIORATION ……………………………………………………. 12
4 SPECIMEN PROCESSING …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12
4.1 TEST SELECTION ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12
4.2 APPEARANCE ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 13
4.3 MICROSCOPY……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 13
4.4 CULTURE AND INVESTIGATION ………………………………………………………………………………………. 15
4.5 IDENTIFICATION …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 16
4.6 ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING………………………………………………………………………… 17
5 REPORTING PROCEDURE……………………………………………………………………………………………. 17
5.1 APPEARANCE ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 17
5.2 MICROSCOPY……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 17
5.3 CULTURE …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 18
5.4 ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING ……………………………………………………………………….. 18
6 REPORTING TO THE HPA (LOCAL AND REGIONAL SERVICES AND CENTRE FOR
INFECTIONS)………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 19
7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND CONTACTS…………………………………………………………………….. 20
APPENDIX ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 21
REFERENCES …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 22