Historical
AORN MAN-850-2012
Recommended Practices for the Care and Handling of Specimens in the Perioperative Environment
Specimen identification, collection, and handling are multidisciplinary tasks that require vigilant attention to detail so that each person in the chain of custody understands the patient’s needs and is aware of information about the specimen. Mishandling or misidentification of specimens can lead to inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis or the need for additional procedures.These recommended practices provide guidance for the implementation of containment, identification,labeling, preservation, transfer, transport, and disposition of surgical specimens. Specimens addressed in this document include tissue, blood, body fluids, or foreign bodies (eg, plates, screws) removed from a patient for pathological, microbiological, or gross examination.
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses [aorn]