Surgical Specimens Flashcards
Samples may be removed by several methods: (3)
Needle aspiration: fine gauge needle/syringe used to aspirate an area of abnormal tissue/fluid
Incisional biopsy: small portion of tissue is incised and sent for examination
Excisional biopsy: entire section of tissue is sent for examination
5 Rights to ensure proper handling of surgical specimens
Right patient
Right date/time of collection
Right lab test
Right surgeon
Right specimen
Specimens may be classified as
Routine, frozen, biopsy, culture, slide, cytology, forensic, gross, explanted medical devices, organ donation, amputated digits and limbs
Specimen label should contain
Description
Patient name/unique identifier (MRN)
Date/time of collection
Diagnosis
Surgeon name
Presence of chemical preservatives or biohazardous material
Examples of specimens that require immediate analysis for determination of tissue pathology include
breast biopsy
Biopsy of tumors
Biopsy of lesions
Rectal biopsy for ganglion cells
Needle biopsy removes
a core of tissue for diagnosis
Bone marrow biopsy requires
specialized needles that can puncture, directly or with a twisting motion
Muscle biopsy requires
specialized forceps that are applied to the tissue before it is removed and keeps the tissue stretched during the procedure
Culture is performed to
determine the exact organism and which treatment it will be sensitive to once identified
Slides are used for diagnostics like
pap smears!
Cytology washings can include
Bronchial
Bladder
Pelvic
Examples of gross analysis items
Orthopedic plates and screws
Pacemaker generators and lead wires
Foreign bodies, such as a coin
Fabric and clothing implication
Bacterial/fungal growth increases when evidence is stored in closed plastic
Hair and fibers implication
May be transferred between the victim and suspected perpetrator or victim and the crime scene
Broken fingernails implication
Striations are unique to each person; can determine sex, race and blood type
