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Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL)

Bronchial lavage, Cytology, Non-Gyn Respiratory Specimen, CYTOLOGY, MEDICAL (NON-GYN)

Test Codes

EPIC: LAB6797

Department

Cytology

Instructions

For questions regarding specimen collection and transport, please contact the Cytology Laboratory.

• Grosse Pointe: 313-473-1801 or extension 1801.
• Farmington Hills: 947-521-8247.
• Royal Oak: 248-898-9035 or extension 89035.
• Troy: 248-964-9050 or extension 49050
• Dearborn:  313-436-2369
• Taylor:  313-295-5365
• Trenton:  734-671-3868
• Wayne:  734-467-4275
• Outreach: 800-551-0488. 

Specimen Collection Criteria

Collect: Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL) specimen in a sterile collection container under established endoscopic procedure. 

Troy, Dearborn, Taylor, Trenton, and Wayne:
Tightly seal the specimen container. (Minimum: 2.0 mL)

Royal Oak, Farmington Hills and Grosse Pointe: 
Add BAL specimen for Cytology to ThinPrep® CytoLyt solution vial (preferred). Tightly seal the specimen container. (Minimum 5 mL, 10 mL preferred).

• Unfixed wash specimens should be immediately delivered to the Cytology Laboratory or refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F) to slow deterioration of cell morphology.
• Label the specimen container with EPIC specimen label with the patient name, date of birth, medical record, source of specimen, and date of test.
• In house cytology specimens should be ordered in EPIC order entry. In the “additional orders” field input “CYTOLOGY, MEDICAL (NON-GYN)” and fill in all appropriate fields. Label specimen container and requisition with EPIC specimen  labels.
• All Cytology specimens must be accompanied by a requisition and must include the patient name, medical record and visit/CSN number, date of birth, date of specimen collection, pertinent patient history, ordering physician name and source of specimen. Place an EPIC specimen label on the requisition.

Physician Office/Draw Specimen Preparation

Preparation for Courier Transport

Transport:  BAL specimen in a sealed, sterile container, refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F).

Royal Oak:  BAL specimen in a sealed ThinPrep^® Cytolyt vial, room temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F) or refrigerated if in saline  (2-8°C or 36-46°F). 

Rejection Criteria

• Improper labeling of specimen container or requisition.
• Specimen not accompanied by requisition.
• Requisitions not accompanied by a specimen.
• Improper collection of specimen (such as improper fixation).
• Specimens contaminated with a foreign material.
• Specimens dried up in a cup or frozen.
• Specimens that leak outside of specimen container into transport bags.
• Any specimen received without all the required information will result in a delay of processing until all information can be verified.

Inpatient Specimen Preparation

Dearborn:

• Deliver the specimen to the main lab drop off window and sign in. Open 24/7.
• Deliver directly to Cytology: Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 5:00 pm 
• Specimens are also picked up throughout the day from the surgical area and endoscopy: Monday – Friday, 6:00 am – 4:30 pm, Saturday, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm.
• When the Cytology lab is closed specimens must be delivered to the main lab window and signed in. 

Farmington Hills

• Deliver the specimen directly to the Cytology Laboratory (2nd floor, East) Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 4:00 pm.

• Specimens are also picked up throughout the day from the surgical floors and Endoscopy, Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 3:00 pm.

• When the Cytology Laboratory is closed, specimens must be delivered to Laboratory Central Processing. 

Grosse Pointe

• Deliver the specimen directly to the AP Laboratory (first level) Monday – Friday,  8:30am- 4:00 pm. 
• Specimens are also picked up throughout the day from the surgical floors and Clinical Pathology, Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.  GP surgical specimens are picked up from the main OR every 2 ½ hours.  Endoscopy specimens are delivered to the AP lab throughout the day.
• When the AP Laboratory is closed, specimens may be delivered to the Clinical Pathology Specimen Processing area.  Specimens are to be placed in the fridge closest to the door after hours.

Royal Oak

• Deliver specimen directly to the Cytology Laboratory (north tower, lower level, west wing) Monday – Friday, 6:30 am – 4:30 pm. 
• Specimens are also picked up from the surgical floors, Endoscopy, and Clinical Pathology Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 7:00 pm and Saturday 7:00 am – 11:00 am, NT and Endoscopy ONLY. 
• When the Cytology Laboratory is closed specimens may be delivered to the Surgical Pathology Laboratory (located on the lower level near the east tower elevators) or may be submitted to Clinical Pathology Specimen Receiving (located in the Beaumont Laboratory Research Building). 

Troy

• All specimens must be hand-delivered to the Specimen Reception Department phone number: 248-964-8615.
  

Taylor:

• Deliver to histology, 8:00 am – 2:00 pm.
•  After hours:  Deliver the specimen to the main lab. Open 24/7.

Trenton:

• Specimens are picked up from Emergency Dept., Interventional Radiology, and operating rooms from 8:00 am – 2:00 pm.
• After hours deliver specimens to the main lab. Open 24/7.

Wayne:  

• Specimens are picked up from Emergency Dept. and Interventional Radiology from 8:00 am – 2:00 pm.
• After hours deliver specimen to the main lab. Open 24/7. 

Storage

Specimen Stability for Testing:

Specimen fixed in ThinPrep^® Cytolyt solution:
Room Temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F)

Unfixed specimen:
Specimen must be refrigerated immediately upon procurement.
Refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F): 7 days
Frozen (-20°C/-4°F or below): Unacceptable 

Specimen Storage in Department Prior to Disposal:

Specimen in saline:
Refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F): 7 days

Specimen fixed in ThinPrep^® Cytolyt solution:
Room temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F):  2 weeks from receipt in Cytology Laboratory, Dearborn: 1 week from receipt in the Cytology laboratory. 

Laboratory

Dearborn Cytology Laboratory
Taylor, Trenton and Wayne specimens are sent to Dearborn Cytology Laboratory for preparation, screening and issuing final results. 

Trenton specimens are sent to Dearborn Cytology Laboratory for preparation and screening.  Final results are issued by Trenton hospital.

Royal Oak Cytology Laboratory
Grosse Pointe and Farmington Hills specimens are sent to Royal Oak Cytology Laboratory for preparation and screening. Final results are issued by originating hospital.

Troy Cytology Laboratory – (Most specimens are prepared and screened at Royal Oak Cytology). 

Performed

Monday – Friday, 6:30 am – 4:30 pm  (Royal Oak).
Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 4:00 pm (Farmington Hills).
Monday – Friday, 7:30 am – 4:00 pm (Troy).
Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm (Grosse Pointe).
Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 5:00 pm (Dearborn)
Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 3:00 pm (Taylor)
Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 3:00 pm (Trenton)
Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 3:00 pm (Wayne) 

Most results are available within 24-36 hours of receipt in the Cytology Laboratory, if received Monday – Friday. The Cytology Laboratory is closed on weekends and holidays. Specimens received after 3:00 pm on Friday will be processed the following Monday and resulted on Tuesday Specimens received after 3:00 pm the day before a holiday will be processed the next working day and resulted out the following day. 

Test Methodology

ThinPrep^® Monolayer Preparation only, routine processing. 

CPT Codes

CPT: 88112.
LOINC: 33716-2. 

Contacts

Last Updated

9/27/2022