Protocol for the processing of bloody cervical specimens: glacial acetic acid and the ThinPrep Pap Test

Since the utilization of the ThinPrep Pap Test in clinical practice, laboratories have strived to optimize cellular yields from cervicovaginal samples. Bloody specimens that often hamper cytologic interpretation and/or render a specimen unsatisfactory for diagnosis on conventional smears also affect ThinPrep preparations. Currently, there is no uniformly utilized method for the processing of bloody cervical specimens sent for analysis by the ThinPrep method. The purpose of this study is to present the protocol utilized by the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics.