Policy: Turn Around Time.

Scope: Laboratory

Distribution list: Laboratory

Policy: The hospital has a policy that defines the time frame for reporting of results i.e from the time of
sample collection to result reporting.

Procedure:

1. All the routine tests results, except for certain tests as detailed below, shall be reported within the
same day.
2. Reports of samples collected after 6 pm shall be entered into register but hard copy will be issued
only on the next day after reviewing by pathologist.
3. Certain tests like histopathology, specialised biochemistry and microbiology shall not be reported
on the same day due to the inherent time taken up by the tests and processing schedules.
Samples from the emergency, OT shall be processed urgently and reported as soon as the test is
completed.

Stat samples requested by the ward / treating physician will be processed urgently and reported as soon
as the test is completed.

Test name Turnaround time

24-HOURS URINE PROTEIN 3 hours

ALBUMIN 3 hours

ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE 3 hours

AMYLASE 3 hours

BILIRUBIN (TOTAL + DIRECT + INDIRECT) 3 hours

BLOOD GAS ANALYSIS 30 minutes

BUN 3 hours

CALCIUM 3 hours
CHLORIDE 3 hours

CHOLESTEROL –LDL 3 hours

CHOLESTEROL –TOTAL 3 hours

CHOLESTEROL –VLDL 3 hours

CK-MB 3 hour

CPK 1 hour

CREATININE 3 hours

GAMMA G. T. 3 hours

GLOBULIN 3 hours

GLUCOSE - FASTING (FBS) 3 hours

GLUCOSE -POST PRANDIAL (PP) 3 hours

GLUCOSE -RANDOM (RBS) 3 hours

GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TEST 4 hours

GLYCATED HAEMOGLOBIN 3 hours

INORGANIC PHOSPHOROUS 3 hours

LACTATE DEHYDROGENASE (LDH) 3 hours

MAGNESIUM 3 hours

POTASSIUM 3 hours

SGOT (AST) 3 hours

SGPT (ALT) 3 hours

SODIUM 3 hours

TOTAL PROTEIN 3 hours

TRIGLYCERIDE 3 hours

TROPONIN T CARD TEST 1 hour

UREA 3 hours

URIC ACID 3 hours

URINE CREATININE 3 hours

URINE SODIUM 12 hours

BLOOD COMPONENT 24 hours

CROSS MATCHING 24 hours

ALBUMIN-URINE 3 hours

BENCE JONES PROTEIN-URINE 3 hours

BILE SALT AND BILEPIGMENT-URINE 3 hours

KETONE (ACETONE) –URINE 1 hour

PROTEIN 24HR-URINE 3 hours

SEMEN ANALYSIS 3 hours

SPECIFIC GRAVITY-URINE 3 hours

STOOL OCCULT BLOOD 3 hours

STOOL ROUTINE 3 hours

URINE – ROUTINE 3 hours

URINE MICROALBUMIN - (MICRAL TEST) 3 hours

URINE MICROSCOPY 3 hours

URINE SUGAR 3 hours

BODY FLUID ANALYSIS (PLEURAL, ASCITIC.E.T.C) 3 hrs

CEREBRO SPINAL FLUID ANALYSIS 3 hours

FNAC 24 hours

GYNAE PAP SMEAR 24 hours

MALIGNANT CELLS 6 hours

ABO & RH GROUPING 3 hours

APTT 3 hours

BLEEDING TIME (BT) 3 hours

CLOTTING TIME (CT) 3 hours

COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT WITH ESR 3 hours

COMPLETE HAEMOGRAM 3 hours

EOSINOPHIL COUNT 3 hours

ESR 3 hours

HAEMATOCRIT (PCV) 3 hours

HAEMOGLOBIN (HB) 3 hours

LEUCOCYTE COUNT - TOTAL(TLC) 3 hours

LEUCOCYTE COUNT DIFFERENTIAL (DC) 3 hours

MALARIAL PARASITE 3 hours

MANTOUX ( PPD) 48 hours

MEAN CELL HAEMOGLOBIN CONCENTRATION 3 hours

MEAN CORPUSCULAR HAEMOGLOBIN (MCH) 3 hours

MEAN CORPUSCULAR VOLUME (MCV) 3 hours

PERIPHERAL BLOOD SMEAR (PBS) 3 hours

PLATELET COUNT 3 hours

PROTHROMBIN TIME (PT) 3 hours

RETICULOCYTE COUNT 3 hours

SLIDE REVIEW 6 hours

AFB DIRECT SMEAR 3 hours

FUNGUS DIRECT SMEAR 3 hours

GRAM STAIN 3 hours

HANGING DROP PREPARATION 1 hour

COAGULATION PROFILE 3 hours

COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT 3 hours

HAEMOGRAM 3 hours

LIPID PROFILE 3 hours

LIVER FUNCTION TEST 3 hours

SERUM ELECTROLYTES 2 hours

ASLO (ANTI STREPTOLYSIN O TIT.) 3 hours

C REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP) 3 hours

COOMBS (DIRECT & INDIRECT) 6 hours

COOMBS (DIRECT) 6 hours

COOMBS (INDIRECT) 6 hours

DENGUE IGG CARD TEST 3 hours

DENGUE IGM CARD TEST 3 hours

HBSAG ( RAPID) 3 hours

HEPATITIS C VIRUS ANTIBODY (HCV) RAPID 3 hours

HIV I & II ( RAPID) 3 hours

RHEUMATOID FACTOR (RA) 3 hours

URINE – PREGNANCY 3 hours

VDRL 3 hours

WIDAL 24 hours
Note: 1. Histopathology turnaround time:

▪ Small sample : 48 – 72 hrs

▪ Medium sample : 72 hrs

▪ Large sample: 96hrs.

2. Microbiology turnaround time:

• Routine culture sensitivity : 48 – 72 hrs

• Blood culture sensitivity: 2daysto5days

• TB culture : 6 weeks

• HIV ELISA , HBsAg ELISA : 48 hrs

• HCV ELISA : 48 hrs

• Dengue ELISA : 48 hrs

• ANA ELISA : 48 hrs

• ANA Profile : 48 hrs

• PCR : 3 to 5 days
3. Specialized outsourced tests

E.g. Urine VMA etc - 4 to 5 days.