Specimen Information

Bronchial Brushing: For optimal cellular preservation, clip brush off into CytoLyt transportation media. Send for processing as soon as possible. Refrigerate if held overnight or over weekend. If slides are made, immediate fixation in 95% Ethanol is required. After making slides, sumbit brush in CytoLyt transport media along with slides.

Call 802-847-5121 for CytoLyt transportation media (Supply #034401).

Bronchial Washings: Bronchial wash specimens submitted for cytologic examination should be free of lidocaine.  Deliver fresh specimens to the laboratory immediately after collection.  Samples collected between 4:00 pm and 7:30 am should be refrigerated until delivered to the laboratory. 

Transbronchial Aspirates: Transbronchial aspirates (Wang and Olympus Needles) are being performed by the Bronchoscopy Service on selected patients at the time of routine bronchoscopy.  The needle contents are immediately rinsed in a CytoLyt transport media and the entire specimen is submitted to Cytopathology for processing. Deliver fresh specimens to the laboratory immediately after collection. 

All specimen containers (not the lid) need to be labeled with the patient’s full legal name and a second identifier.  Samples collected between 4:00 pm and 7:30 am should be refrigerated.

The accompanying laboratory requisition must contain all pertinent clinical information. It is essential to include history of cancer and radiation/chemotherapy on the requisition.