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How to receive samples sent on a manifest

Use this guide when a package of samples arrives from a health facility or another lab with a manifest. Activating the manifest registers every sample in the package at once, without retyping any of them.

Before starting

  • The package, physically checked against the manifest
  • The manifest code, printed on the manifest sheet in the package
  • The date the package arrived at the lab
  • Permission to add samples from a manifest

Check the package first

Count the tubes against the manifest before touching InteLIS. Activation marks every sample on the manifest as received at the lab. Activating a manifest for a package that is short leaves samples recorded as received that are not in the building.

If tubes are missing or damaged, activate the manifest anyway, then reject the affected samples individually. See How to handle failed and held samples.

Activate the manifest

  1. Go to HIV VIRAL LOAD → Request Management → Add Samples from Manifest.
  2. Enter the manifest code in Sample Manifest Code.
  3. Select Submit.

InteLIS lists every sample on that manifest.

  1. Check the listed count against the tubes on the bench.
  2. Set Sample Received at Testing Lab to the date the package arrived.
  3. Select Activate Samples.

InteLIS confirms with a message reading that the samples from the manifest have been activated.

What activation does

Activation issues a lab Sample ID for every sample on the manifest that does not already have one, and records the received date entered in step 5.

Until the manifest is activated, the samples are not available for testing. The health facility has already recorded them, but they carry the facility's own reference, not a lab Sample ID.

The list shows two columns for this reason.

Column Meaning
Sample ID The identifier issued by this lab, used on the analyzer and on the report
Remote Sample ID The identifier the sending facility used, kept so the facility can trace the sample

If the code is not accepted

Message Cause What to do
Enter a valid manifest code The code does not match any manifest Check for a mistyped character. Confirm the manifest was sent to this lab
Select when the samples were received The received date is empty Set the received date, then activate again
No samples listed The manifest has already been activated Search for one of its Sample IDs in View Test Requests

A manifest created on the central system reaches the lab on a schedule. A manifest generated minutes ago may not have arrived yet. Wait, then try again.

Confirm it worked

Go to HIV VIRAL LOAD → Request Management → View Test Requests and search on the manifest code.

Every sample from the package appears with a Sample ID and the status Sample Registered at Testing Lab.

Next

Add the activated samples to a batch. See How to batch samples for testing.