An analysis of blood specimen container leakage.

Procedures have been designed to test specimen containers for leakage, using blood and aqueous fluorescein solution as indicators. They have been used in a trial evaluation of a number of commercially available containers intended for medical specimens. Glass bijou bottles, evacuated container systems, and several types of plastic container showed no significant leakage rate with either blood or aqueous solution when they were tested at room temperature, but a large proportion of the plastic containers leaked after being subjected to -20 degrees. C. These would thus be suitable and satisfactory for blood count specimens but not for specimens of serum and other body fluids, which are usually stored frozen. With all types of container tested there was spontaneous discharge of contents (blood or aqueous solution) on opening in a proportion of them; thus no container at present available seems to be entirely free from hazard.