Sampling (medicine)
Encyclopedia
In medicine
, sampling is gathering of matter
from the body to aid in the process of a medical diagnosis
and/or evaluation of an indication
for treatment, further medical test
s or other procedures. In this sense, the sample is the gathered matter, and the sampling tool or sampler is the person or material to collect the sample.
Sampling is a prerequisite for many medical test
s, but generally not for medical history
, physical examination
and radiologic tests.
is the removal of tissue
s from the body, generally in the sense of solid or soft tissue targets.
sampling particularly involves gathering of cells to detect abnormalities, generally not preserving the normal tissue structure. Puncture (also called centesis) followed by aspiration is the main method used for cytopathologic sampling. The main method is fine needle aspiration, but there are also somewhat differently designed needles, such as for bone marrow aspiration.
, including:
sampling include:
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, sampling is gathering of matter
Matter
Matter is a general term for the substance of which all physical objects consist. Typically, matter includes atoms and other particles which have mass. A common way of defining matter is as anything that has mass and occupies volume...
from the body to aid in the process of a medical diagnosis
Medical diagnosis
Medical diagnosis refers both to the process of attempting to determine or identify a possible disease or disorder , and to the opinion reached by this process...
and/or evaluation of an indication
Indication (medicine)
In medicine, an indication is a valid reason to use a certain test, medication, procedure, or surgery. The opposite of indication is contraindication.-Drugs:...
for treatment, further medical test
Medical test
A diagnostic test is any kind of medical test performed to aid in the diagnosis or detection of disease. For example:* to diagnose diseases, and preferably sub-classify it regarding, for example, severity and treatability...
s or other procedures. In this sense, the sample is the gathered matter, and the sampling tool or sampler is the person or material to collect the sample.
Sampling is a prerequisite for many medical test
Medical test
A diagnostic test is any kind of medical test performed to aid in the diagnosis or detection of disease. For example:* to diagnose diseases, and preferably sub-classify it regarding, for example, severity and treatability...
s, but generally not for medical history
Medical history
The medical history or anamnesis of a patient is information gained by a physician by asking specific questions, either of the patient or of other people who know the person and can give suitable information , with the aim of obtaining information useful in formulating a diagnosis and providing...
, physical examination
Physical examination
Physical examination or clinical examination is the process by which a doctor investigates the body of a patient for signs of disease. It generally follows the taking of the medical history — an account of the symptoms as experienced by the patient...
and radiologic tests.
Biopsy
A biopsyBiopsy
A biopsy is a medical test involving sampling of cells or tissues for examination. It is the medical removal of tissue from a living subject to determine the presence or extent of a disease. The tissue is generally examined under a microscope by a pathologist, and can also be analyzed chemically...
is the removal of tissue
Biological tissue
Tissue is a cellular organizational level intermediate between cells and a complete organism. A tissue is an ensemble of cells, not necessarily identical, but from the same origin, that together carry out a specific function. These are called tissues because of their identical functioning...
s from the body, generally in the sense of solid or soft tissue targets.
Cytopathologic sampling
CytopathologicCytopathology
Cytopathology is a branch of pathology that studies and diagnoses diseases on the cellular level. The discipline was founded by Rudolf Virchow in 1858. A common application of cytopathology is the Pap smear, used as a screening tool, to detect precancerous cervical lesions and prevent cervical...
sampling particularly involves gathering of cells to detect abnormalities, generally not preserving the normal tissue structure. Puncture (also called centesis) followed by aspiration is the main method used for cytopathologic sampling. The main method is fine needle aspiration, but there are also somewhat differently designed needles, such as for bone marrow aspiration.
Body fluid sampling
Body fluid sampling include:Blood sampling for any blood testBlood test
A blood test is a laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a needle, or via fingerprick....
, including:
-
- ArterialArteryArteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. This blood is normally oxygenated, exceptions made for the pulmonary and umbilical arteries....
blood sampling, such as by radial artery punctureRadial artery punctureRadial artery puncture is a medical procedure that is performed in order to obtain arterial blood sampling for gas analysis. A needle is inserted into the radial artery and spontaneously fills with blood... - CapillaryCapillaryCapillaries are the smallest of a body's blood vessels and are parts of the microcirculation. They are only 1 cell thick. These microvessels, measuring 5-10 μm in diameter, connect arterioles and venules, and enable the exchange of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and many other nutrient and waste...
blood sampling, such as by using a blood lancetBlood lancetA blood lancet, or simply lancet, is a small medical implement used for blood sampling. A blood lancet is similar to a small scalpel but with a double-edged blade or needle. Lancets are used to make punctures to obtain small blood specimens, are generally disposable, and are commonly used in the... - Venous blood sampling, also called venipunctureVenipunctureIn medicine, venepuncture, venopuncture or venipuncture is the process of obtaining intravenous access for the purpose of intravenous therapy or for blood sampling of venous blood. This procedure is performed by medical laboratory scientists, medical practitioners, some EMTs, paramedics,...
- Arterial
- Blood sampling techniques include using a blood lancetBlood lancetA blood lancet, or simply lancet, is a small medical implement used for blood sampling. A blood lancet is similar to a small scalpel but with a double-edged blade or needle. Lancets are used to make punctures to obtain small blood specimens, are generally disposable, and are commonly used in the...
,- Lumbar punctureLumbar punctureA lumbar puncture is a diagnostic and at times therapeutic procedure that is performed in order to collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid for biochemical, microbiological, and cytological analysis, or very rarely as a treatment to relieve increased intracranial pressure.-Indications:The...
to sample cerebrospinal fluidCerebrospinal fluidCerebrospinal fluid , Liquor cerebrospinalis, is a clear, colorless, bodily fluid, that occupies the subarachnoid space and the ventricular system around and inside the brain and spinal cord... - Thoracocentesis to sample pleural fluid
- AmniocentesisAmniocentesisAmniocentesis is a medical procedure used in prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities and fetal infections, in which a small amount of amniotic fluid, which contains fetal tissues, is sampled from the amnion or amniotic sac surrounding a developing fetus, and the fetal DNA is examined for...
to sample amniotic fluidAmniotic fluidAmniotic fluid or liquor amnii is the nourishing and protecting liquid contained by the amniotic sac of a pregnant woman.- Development of amniotic fluid :...
- Lumbar puncture
Microbiological sampling
MicrobiologicalMedical microbiology
Medical microbiology is both a branch of medicine and microbiology which deals with the study of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites which are of medical importance and are capable of causing infectious diseases in human beings...
sampling include:
- Blood sampling for blood cultureBlood cultureBlood culture is a microbiological culture of blood. It is employed to detect infections that are spreading through the bloodstream...
s, performed similarly as that for tests on the fluid itself aboveThroat swab for throat cultureThroat cultureA throat culture is a laboratory diagnostic test to find a bacterial or fungal infection in the throat. Sampling is performed by throat swab, and the sample is put in a special cup that allows infections to grow. If an infection grows, the culture is positive. The type of infection is found using...
. It's performed by applying a cotton swabCotton swabCotton swabs or cotton buds or ear buds consist of a small wad of cotton wrapped around one or both ends of a short rod, usually made of either wood, rolled paper, or plastic...
to the surface of the throatThroatIn vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the anterior part of the neck, in front of the vertebral column. It consists of the pharynx and larynx...
.Sampling of sputumSputumSputum is mucus that is coughed up from the lower airways. It is usually used for microbiological investigations of respiratory infections....
from the lungs for sputum cultureSputum cultureA sputum culture is a test to detect and identify bacteria or fungi that infect the lungs or breathing passages. Sputum is a thick fluid produced in the lungs and in the adjacent airways. A sample of sputum is placed in a sterile container and sent to the laboratory for testing...
. It can be performed by special techniques of coughing, or by a protected specimen brush (PSB), which is a brush that can be retracted into a plastic tube to prevent contamination of bacteria in the throat while inserting and removing the instrument.