Specimen Requirements

Expectorated

Collect an early-morning specimen on at least 3 consecutive days in a screw-capped, sterile container as follows:

1. Instruct patient to brush his/her teeth and/or rinse mouth well with water to minimize contaminating specimen with food particles, mouthwash, or oral drugs.
2. Have patient remove dentures.
3. Instruct patient to take a deep breath, hold it momentarily, then cough deeply and vigorously into container and tighten cap on the container. If specimen will not be picked up for 24 hours for transport to laboratory, 30 ml of CytoLyte solution or 50% isopropanol or ethanol fixative should be added before recapping. 
4. Label container with patient’s first and last name and second identifier, date of collection, physician’s name, and hospital identification number (if applicable).
5. Please complete a Cytology Request Form including patient’s name, date of birth, date of collection, physician’s name, address, specimen source, and pertinent clinical history; and forward it with the specimen.
6. Place specimen in a plastic specimen bag with Cytology Request Form inserted into pocket separate from specimen; and, if possible, deliver specimen to Cytology Laboratory.

Induced

1. Submit slip to Inhalation Therapy for collection of sputum. Technical personnel in the unit will collect specimen, mainly a.m. prior to breakfast.
2. Place specimen in a screw-capped, sterile container which should be 1/3 full of 50% isopropanol or ethanol fixative solution.
3. Label container with patient’s first and last name and second identifier, date of collection, physician’s name, and hospital identification number (if applicable).
4. Please complete a Cytology Request Form including patient’s name, date of birth, date of collection, physician’s name, address, specimen source, and pertinent clinical history; and forward it with the specimen.
5. Place specimen in a plastic specimen bag with Cytology Request Form inserted into pocket separate from specimen; and, if possible, deliver specimen to Cytology Laboratory.