HL7 SAC Specimen Container detail
HL7 field reference SAC fields from HL7 v2.5.1 Show fields
These are the generated fields for the version selected at the top of the page. The document stays the same, but the reference panel follows that version.
Fields
| Field | Name | Required | Repeatable | Type | Table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAC.1 | External Accession Identifier | No | No | EI | |
| SAC.2 | Accession Identifier | No | No | EI | |
| SAC.3 | Container Identifier | No | No | EI | |
| SAC.4 | Primary (parent) Container Identifier | No | No | EI | |
| SAC.5 | Equipment Container Identifier | No | No | EI | |
| SAC.6 | Specimen Source | No | No | SPS | 0070 |
| SAC.7 | Registration Date/Time | No | No | TS | |
| SAC.8 | Container Status | No | No | CE | 0370 |
| SAC.9 | Carrier Type | No | No | CE | 0378 |
| SAC.10 | Carrier Identifier | No | No | EI | |
| SAC.11 | Position in Carrier | No | No | NA | |
| SAC.12 | Tray Type - SAC | No | No | CE | 0379 |
| SAC.13 | Tray Identifier | No | No | EI | |
| SAC.14 | Position in Tray | No | No | NA | |
| SAC.15 | Location | No | Yes | CE | |
| SAC.16 | Container Height | No | No | NM | |
| SAC.17 | Container Diameter | No | No | NM | |
| SAC.18 | Barrier Delta | No | No | NM | |
| SAC.19 | Bottom Delta | No | No | NM | |
| SAC.20 | Container Height/Diameter/Delta Units | No | No | CE | |
| SAC.21 | Container Volume | No | No | NM | |
| SAC.22 | Available Specimen Volume | No | No | NM | |
| SAC.23 | Initial Specimen Volume | No | No | NM | |
| SAC.24 | Volume Units | No | No | CE | |
| SAC.25 | Separator Type | No | No | CE | 0380 |
| SAC.26 | Cap Type | No | No | CE | 0381 |
| SAC.27 | Additive | No | Yes | CWE | 0371 |
| SAC.28 | Specimen Component | No | No | CE | |
| SAC.29 | Dilution Factor | No | No | SN | |
| SAC.30 | Treatment | No | No | CE | 0373 |
| SAC.31 | Temperature | No | No | SN | |
| SAC.32 | Hemolysis Index | No | No | NM | |
| SAC.33 | Hemolysis Index Units | No | No | CE | |
| SAC.34 | Lipemia Index | No | No | NM | |
| SAC.35 | Lipemia Index Units | No | No | CE | |
| SAC.36 | Icterus Index | No | No | NM | |
| SAC.37 | Icterus Index Units | No | No | CE | |
| SAC.38 | Fibrin Index | No | No | NM | |
| SAC.39 | Fibrin Index Units | No | No | CE | |
| SAC.40 | System Induced Contaminants | No | Yes | CE | 0374 |
| SAC.41 | Drug Interference | No | Yes | CE | 0382 |
| SAC.42 | Artificial Blood | No | No | CE | 0375 |
| SAC.43 | Special Handling Code | No | Yes | CWE | 0376 |
| SAC.44 | Other Environmental Factors | No | Yes | CE | 0377 |
SAC describes specimen containers, carriers, locations, volumes, additives, and container handling detail.
The standard describes SAC this way: The container detail segment is the data necessary to maintain the containers that are being used throughout the Laboratory Automation System. The specimens in many laboratories are transported and processed in containers (e.g., sample tubes). When SPM and SAC are used in the same message, then the conceptually duplicate attributes will be valued only in the SPM. This applies to SAC-6 Specimen Source, SAC-27 Additives, and SAC-43 Special Handling Considerations.
Equipment and specimen-control segments are used around instruments, analyzers, containers, device commands, device status, and test configuration. They are practical plumbing for lab and automation workflows.
The main trap is treating an equipment status as if it were a clinical result, or treating a specimen/container identifier as if it were interchangeable with a patient or order identifier. Keep the layers separate.
The v2.5.1 structures show SAC in EAC_U07 - Automated equipment command, EAR_U08 - Automated equipment response, OMG_O19 - OMG - General clinical order, and OML_O21 - OML - Laboratory order, and 12 other message structures. That tells you where it can appear, but the implementation guide still decides which optional fields are meaningful.
For practical interface work, read the generated field panel for datatype, required, repeatable, and table details, then use the notes below to decide what the field should mean in the receiving workflow.
SAC-1 identifies the External Accession Identifier for this equipment or specimen workflow. Send the identifier that the receiving system actually keys on, and keep the assigning authority or coding system visible when the datatype supports it.
SAC-2 identifies the Accession Identifier for this equipment or specimen workflow. Send the identifier that the receiving system actually keys on, and keep the assigning authority or coding system visible when the datatype supports it.
SAC-3 identifies the Container Identifier for this equipment or specimen workflow. Send the identifier that the receiving system actually keys on, and keep the assigning authority or coding system visible when the datatype supports it.
SAC-4 identifies the Primary (parent) Container Identifier for this equipment or specimen workflow. Send the identifier that the receiving system actually keys on, and keep the assigning authority or coding system visible when the datatype supports it.
SAC-5 identifies the Equipment Container Identifier for this equipment or specimen workflow. Send the identifier that the receiving system actually keys on, and keep the assigning authority or coding system visible when the datatype supports it.
SAC-6 describes specimen or container handling. This is not patient identity and not order identity; it is the physical or analyzer-side detail needed to move, test, store, or track the specimen correctly.
The generated panel links this to HL7 table 0070; many real interfaces narrow that list further, so follow the receiver's implementation guide.
SAC-7 is a timing field. Send the real source-system precision, do not pad unknown dates or times, and agree how timezone offsets are handled when time of day matters.
SAC-8 tells the receiver the state of this equipment or specimen workflow. Status fields often drive workflow branches, so use the agreed code and do not infer a status just because another field looks complete.
The coded value should follow HL7 table 0370 or the narrower table in the local profile.
SAC-9 qualifies the equipment or specimen workflow rather than identifying it. This is the sort of field receivers often use for branching, filtering, or display grouping.
Use the agreed value set, starting from HL7 table 0378. A local code without an agreed coding system is a small ambiguity that becomes a mapping problem later.
SAC-10 identifies the Carrier Identifier for this equipment or specimen workflow. Send the identifier that the receiving system actually keys on, and keep the assigning authority or coding system visible when the datatype supports it.
SAC-11 describes specimen or container handling. This is not patient identity and not order identity; it is the physical or analyzer-side detail needed to move, test, store, or track the specimen correctly.
SAC-12 qualifies the equipment or specimen workflow rather than identifying it. This is the sort of field receivers often use for branching, filtering, or display grouping.
Use the agreed value set, starting from HL7 table 0379. A local code without an agreed coding system is a small ambiguity that becomes a mapping problem later.
SAC-13 identifies the Tray Identifier for this equipment or specimen workflow. Send the identifier that the receiving system actually keys on, and keep the assigning authority or coding system visible when the datatype supports it.
SAC-14 describes specimen or container handling. This is not patient identity and not order identity; it is the physical or analyzer-side detail needed to move, test, store, or track the specimen correctly.
SAC-15 places the equipment or specimen workflow in an organization, facility, department, room, bed, or location group. Keep physical location, owning department, and receiving facility separate when the datatype allows it.
This field can repeat. Use repetitions for separate real-world values, not as a workaround for putting several unrelated ideas in one field.
SAC-16 describes specimen or container handling. This is not patient identity and not order identity; it is the physical or analyzer-side detail needed to move, test, store, or track the specimen correctly.
SAC-17 describes specimen or container handling. This is not patient identity and not order identity; it is the physical or analyzer-side detail needed to move, test, store, or track the specimen correctly.
SAC-18 carries Barrier Delta for this equipment or specimen workflow. Populate it only when the receiver has a clear use for it, and keep the value in the datatype shape shown in the generated field panel.
SAC-19 carries Bottom Delta for this equipment or specimen workflow. Populate it only when the receiver has a clear use for it, and keep the value in the datatype shape shown in the generated field panel.
SAC-20 supplies the units that make the companion numeric field meaningful. Units should be coded consistently, especially for medication, lab, specimen, and billing quantities.
SAC-21 carries a measured, counted, priced, or dosed value. A number without the expected unit, currency, or companion qualifier is much easier to misread than an empty field.
SAC-22 carries a measured, counted, priced, or dosed value. A number without the expected unit, currency, or companion qualifier is much easier to misread than an empty field.
SAC-23 carries a measured, counted, priced, or dosed value. A number without the expected unit, currency, or companion qualifier is much easier to misread than an empty field.
SAC-24 supplies the units that make the companion numeric field meaningful. Units should be coded consistently, especially for medication, lab, specimen, and billing quantities.
SAC-25 qualifies the equipment or specimen workflow rather than identifying it. This is the sort of field receivers often use for branching, filtering, or display grouping.
Use the agreed value set, starting from HL7 table 0380. A local code without an agreed coding system is a small ambiguity that becomes a mapping problem later.
SAC-26 qualifies the equipment or specimen workflow rather than identifying it. This is the sort of field receivers often use for branching, filtering, or display grouping.
Use the agreed value set, starting from HL7 table 0381. A local code without an agreed coding system is a small ambiguity that becomes a mapping problem later.
SAC-27 describes specimen or container handling. This is not patient identity and not order identity; it is the physical or analyzer-side detail needed to move, test, store, or track the specimen correctly.
The generated panel links this to HL7 table 0371; many real interfaces narrow that list further, so follow the receiver's implementation guide.
SAC-28 describes specimen or container handling. This is not patient identity and not order identity; it is the physical or analyzer-side detail needed to move, test, store, or track the specimen correctly.
SAC-29 describes specimen or container handling. This is not patient identity and not order identity; it is the physical or analyzer-side detail needed to move, test, store, or track the specimen correctly.
SAC-30 belongs to the medication/treatment workflow. Be explicit about whether the value describes the original order, encoded order, dispense event, scheduled give, or actual administration.
The generated panel links this to HL7 table 0373; many real interfaces narrow that list further, so follow the receiver's implementation guide.
SAC-31 carries Temperature for this equipment or specimen workflow. Populate it only when the receiver has a clear use for it, and keep the value in the datatype shape shown in the generated field panel.
SAC-32 carries Hemolysis Index for this equipment or specimen workflow. Populate it only when the receiver has a clear use for it, and keep the value in the datatype shape shown in the generated field panel.
SAC-33 supplies the units that make the companion numeric field meaningful. Units should be coded consistently, especially for medication, lab, specimen, and billing quantities.
SAC-34 carries Lipemia Index for this equipment or specimen workflow. Populate it only when the receiver has a clear use for it, and keep the value in the datatype shape shown in the generated field panel.
SAC-35 supplies the units that make the companion numeric field meaningful. Units should be coded consistently, especially for medication, lab, specimen, and billing quantities.
SAC-36 carries Icterus Index for this equipment or specimen workflow. Populate it only when the receiver has a clear use for it, and keep the value in the datatype shape shown in the generated field panel.
SAC-37 supplies the units that make the companion numeric field meaningful. Units should be coded consistently, especially for medication, lab, specimen, and billing quantities.
SAC-38 carries Fibrin Index for this equipment or specimen workflow. Populate it only when the receiver has a clear use for it, and keep the value in the datatype shape shown in the generated field panel.
SAC-39 supplies the units that make the companion numeric field meaningful. Units should be coded consistently, especially for medication, lab, specimen, and billing quantities.
SAC-40 carries System Induced Contaminants for this equipment or specimen workflow. Populate it only when the receiver has a clear use for it, and keep the value in the datatype shape shown in the generated field panel.
The generated panel links this to HL7 table 0374; many real interfaces narrow that list further, so follow the receiver's implementation guide.
SAC-41 belongs to the medication/treatment workflow. Be explicit about whether the value describes the original order, encoded order, dispense event, scheduled give, or actual administration.
The generated panel links this to HL7 table 0382; many real interfaces narrow that list further, so follow the receiver's implementation guide.
SAC-42 carries Artificial Blood for this equipment or specimen workflow. Populate it only when the receiver has a clear use for it, and keep the value in the datatype shape shown in the generated field panel.
The generated panel links this to HL7 table 0375; many real interfaces narrow that list further, so follow the receiver's implementation guide.
SAC-43 identifies the Special Handling Code for this equipment or specimen workflow. Send the identifier that the receiving system actually keys on, and keep the assigning authority or coding system visible when the datatype supports it.
If there are several identifiers, use repetitions deliberately and make each repeat self-explanatory rather than relying on position alone.
SAC-44 carries Other Environmental Factors for this equipment or specimen workflow. Populate it only when the receiver has a clear use for it, and keep the value in the datatype shape shown in the generated field panel.
The generated panel links this to HL7 table 0377; many real interfaces narrow that list further, so follow the receiver's implementation guide.