Regional Medical Laboratory

NO FORMALIN SHOULD BE ADDED TO ANY SPECIMEN SENT FOR CYTOLOGICAL EXAMINATION

Specimens for cytological examination must be accompanied by a requisition indicating the patient’s name, date of birth or age, date and time of specimen collection, specimen source, ordering physician’s name and pertinent clinical information.

• Breast (Nipple Discharge)
  A thin preparation is made by smearing a drop of the discharge on a glass slide, placing a second slide over the specimen and spreading the slides apart to make an even smear. Both slides are to be fixed immediately by spraying with Cytospray® fixative or immersing in 95% Ethanol to avoid air-drying. Label the slides using a pencil on the frosted end by printing the patient’s first and last name.
• Bronchial
  Bronchial washings should be sent to the laboratory in a specimen cup labeled with the patient’s first and last name. Bronchial brushes should be smeared on glass slides and spray fixed immediately with Cytospray® or immersing in 95% Ethanol fixative to avoid air-drying. The slides should be labeled in pencil on the frosted end by printing the patient’s first and last name.
• Cyst Fluid
  Aspirate the cyst into a syringe. Remove the needle and cap the syringe. Label the specimen with the patient’s first and last name. Refrigerate until the specimen is sent to the laboratory.
• Fine Needle Aspiration of Solid Masses
  Expel the aspirated material from the syringe onto a glass slide that is labeled in pencil on the frosted end with the patient’s first and last name. Make a smear by placing a second slide over the specimen and spreading the slides apart to make a thin preparation. Spray fix immediately with Cytospray® fixative or immersing in 95% Ethanol to avoid air-drying. It is recommended that solid lumps be aspirated at least two times and the slides smeared and fixed after each aspirate stick. Rinse needle in CytoRich® preservative and submit to lab.
• Sputum
  Collect sputum in a specimen cup early morning prior to any meal. For best results, these should be collected on 3 consecutive days. CytoRich® Preservative is available upon request. Cover the sputum with the preservative. Label the container with the patient’s first and last name.
• Urine
  Submit urine or bladder washing in a sealed specimen cup. Early morning voided urine is Not a good specimen. Label the container with the patient’s first and last name. Refrigerate the specimen until it is sent to the laboratory. 24 hour urine, or urine from a collection bag, is not recommended for cytology because of cell degeneration and bacterial growth. Three voided urine samples is optimal for maximum sensitivity for diagnosing neoplasms.