Refrigerated specimen

For transportation of frozen or refrigerated specimens, a styrofoam container should be used. The container walls should be 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick to provide effective insulation. The container should be vented to prevent buildup of carbon dioxide under pressure and a possible explosion. Sohd carbon dioxide (dry ice) is the most convenient refrigerant material for keeping specimens frozen, and temperatures as low as -70 °C can be achieved. The amount of dry ice required in a container depends on the size of the container and the efficiency of its insulation and the time for which the specimens must be kept frozen. One piece of solid dry ice (about 3 inches x 4 inches x 1 inch) in a container with 1-inch styrofoam walls and a volume of 125 cubic inches (2000 cm ) will maintain a single specimen frozen for 48 hours. 

Urine may be collected for assays of enzyme activities following cleansing of the genitalia with mild antiseptic soap followed by rinsing with water. The urine is collected in a chemically clean container with no preservative. As the activity of urinary enzymes is a function of the volume of the specimen it is important to time the collection accurately. A collection period of 8 hours is quite adequate, and the use of longer periods is not desirable because enzyme activities can rapidly decrease in the relatively hostile medium of the urine. The urine should be refrigerated and transferred promptly to the laboratory, where it should also be processed promptly. 

Enzymes have different degrees of stability after their collection. Alkaline phosphatase demonstrates up to 10% increased activity after a few hours at room temperature (B15). Most enzymes are not stable at room temperature, but can be preserved in the refrigerator for short periods or in the deep freeze for relatively long times. In Table 4 are tabulated the reported stabilities of many serum enzymes. It must be realized that the problem of enzyme stability is complicated by the fact that the isoenzymes of a particular enzyme may have different stabilities and that specimens with high activities may react differently than those with normal activities (KIO). Although it is indicated in Table 4 that serum... 

Allow the specimen to equilibrate to the temperature at which it is most likely stored or used (e.g., refrigerated, ambient, or elevated temperature). 

Notes made about the mushrooms habitat often give valuable clues to identification of psilocybian mushrooms, as does a "spore print. This can be made by placing one specimen s cap on a sheet of white paper and, if possible, another on black paper. These mushroom caps should then be covered by a glass and left alone for several hours, until it becomes clear whether or not they are dark purple-brown. The remainder of the collection should be refrigerated (but not frozen) as soon as possible, because mushrooms deteriorate fairly rapidly in heat. They can be preserved in the vegetable bin of a refrigerator weU over a week. 

Some people have observed that mushrooms containing both psilocybin and psilocin tend to lose their psychoactivity fairly rapidly, whereas those lacking psilocin tend to have a long shelf life. Liberty Caps have no psilocin, but they do contain psilocybin analogues. Specimens collected and analyzed in 1976 were reanalyzed after four years on a shelf without refrigeration. They were found to be almost as potent. 

Several medications, including anticholinesterases such as pyridostigmine bromide, are toxic to mice, but can be dialyzed from samples before testing. To avoid interfering with the mouse bioassay, a list of the patient s medications should accompany any diagnostic samples sent. All specimens require refrigeration at 4°C (37). 

In the event of a covert food-borne release of botnlinnm toxin, the epidemiologic analysis may reveal identify the suspect food, and pnblic health anthorities will most likely obtain the appropriate food specimens, if still available. Snspected foods reqnire refrigeration before retrieval. Likewise, pnblic health anthorities will be responsible for obtaining the appropriate environmental swabs in the event of a food-borne or aerosol release of botnlinnm toxin. 

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