PRINCIPLE OF EXAMINATION
Bronchial alveolar lavage is used mainly for differential cell counts in interstitial lung disease (ILD) and to diagnose infections (such as Pneumocystis jiroveci ) in immunosuppressed / immuno-compromised patients.
SPECIMEN REQUIREMENTS AND LABELLING
Please note: The laboratory should be notified in advanced of any BAL sample requiring a differential cell count (Telephone: 01392 402991)
The request should contain:
URGENT SPECIMENS: Please label urgent specimens clearly; an explanation as to why the specimen is urgent is helpful. On receipt, laboratory staff will notify the pathologist who will report the specimen as soon as possible.
HIGH RISK SPECIMENS: Requests must indicate if a specimen is high risk. Please indicate details of the risk, eg: TB, blood-borne virus, MPOX etc.
SPECIMEN DELIVERY
Please note: The laboratory should be notified in advanced of any BAL sample requiring a differential cell count via phone on 01392 402991
To ensure best results, we request that as much fresh specimen is sent to the laboratory as soon as possible, and within 24hrs of collection.
Any sample taken out of hours must be stored in a fridge overnight (4°C).
TURNAROUND TIME
The Laboratory aims to comply with The Royal College of Pathologists Key Performance Indicator (KPI 6.4) for Cellular Pathology reporting turnaround times with 90% of all cases reported within 10 calendar days.
Specimen Labelling Procedure