Toxicological Tests

The shipment of biological specimens must comply with the protocols established by the courier or transport service used. In some cases, air transport requires compliance with the regulations of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for dangerous goods.

If a known toxin is suspected, a specific test must always be requested: laboratories cannot simply «check whether there is poisoning». A complete description of the clinical and epidemiological findings can help differentiate poisoning from infectious diseases that mimic poisoning.

The most critical samples to be collected are usually the following

There are also some exceptions, such as the collection of brain tissue for cholinesterase testing.

For some investigations, diagnosis requires the analysis of feed or water. If in doubt about sample shipping procedures, contact the laboratory.

Freezing is essential to prevent the degradation of a few analytes, such as cholinesterase, zinc phosphide and sodium fluoroacetate (compound 1080). However, for most analytes, sending the samples refrigerated overnight will suffice.

The containers used to package and transport the samples must not contain chemical substances. Plastic containers (for example, jars) are ideal, and jars with metal lids should be avoided. Samples must be packaged individually and all containers must be labelled.

If there is a possibility of taking legal action, all containers shipped must be sealed so that tampering can be detected, or else hand-delivered to the laboratory and a receipt obtained. The chain of custody must be documented accurately.

If the food or water is suspected to be the source of the poisoning, tissue samples should be accompanied by refrigerated samples of the same, together with any descriptive label on the food. If possible, a representative composite sample of the feed from the suspected batch or shipment should be sent (that is, aliquots from the top, middle and bottom of the feed container).

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