Skin snip
(CDC)

Sample type

• A 1 to 2 mg shaving or biopsy of the skin is done

Uses

• The diagnosis of onchocerciasis

Precautions

• The tissue is then incubated in normal saline at room temperature for 24 hours to allow the microfilariae (larvae) to emerge.

Interfering factors

• when skin snips are negative and clinical suspicion of infection is high, the general antibody test could be used in an attempt to exclude infection.

• low sensitivity (20%-50%) in early stages of infection.

Pre analytical errors

1) Inappropriate storage of the sample

Corrective action

1) The sample incubated in normal saline at room temperature for 24 hours.

Post analytical errors

1) critical results not reported or delayed, and results sent to the wrong patient.

Corrective Action

1) If the report is not delivered to the patient and this error is discovered the correct result must be written.

Reference ranges

• Positive or Negative