Temporal characteristics of laboratory screening errors in cervical cytology

Acta Cytol. 2006 Sep-Oct;50(5):492-8. doi: 10.1159/000326002.

Abstract

Objective: To explore the temporal characteristics of laboratory false negative reports in cervical cytology.

Study design: The temporal characteristics of 198 false negative cervical cytology cases were compared with those of 750,805 control cases.

Results: The false negative rate did not vary significantly by month, day of the week or time of day. The false negative rate was lowest for slides that took between 4 and 5 minutes to screen and increased significantly with screening times that were longer than 5 minutes. The false negative rate did not vary by the number of cases already authorized in a given day. After 40 cases had been authorized in a given day, the false negative rate fell for subsequent cases, but this did not reach statistical significance. The false negative rate was higher during periods when prescreening was performed.

Conclusion: Further studies of the relationship between time and false negative reports are needed. These would provide an evidence base to help promote safe working practices within laboratories and a more objective setting of maximum daily productivity levels for cytotechnologists.

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma / diagnosis*
  • Cervix Uteri / pathology*
  • Diagnostic Errors / prevention & control
  • Diagnostic Errors / statistics & numerical data*
  • False Negative Reactions
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mass Screening / standards
  • Mass Screening / statistics & numerical data
  • Observer Variation
  • Time Factors
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Vaginal Smears / standards
  • Vaginal Smears / statistics & numerical data*
  • Workload / standards
  • Workload / statistics & numerical data