Laboratory of Pathology

Specimen Scheduling and Delivery

1. Flow Cytometry testing is not appropriate for the following differential diagnosis specimens:
   
   
   1. Not appropriate for any specimen for Hodgkin lymphoma. 
   2. Not ideal for anaplastic large cell lymphoma, lymphomatoid granulomatosis (LYG), thymic B cell lymphoma or large cell lymphoma.

2. Pre-approval / Scheduling Is Required for All Specimens. 

1. Contact the on call Triage Flow Cytometry pathologist by calling the Triage phone line: (301) 480-7179; or
2. Contact all Flow Cytometry pathologists by email: FlowTriageNCI@mail.nih.gov; or

Go to Specimen Ordering and Labeling

3. Pre-approval / Scheduling 1:00 p.m. Specimen Delivery Cut-Off Time, Monday - Friday. 

• Schedule flow cytometry specimen collection for the first morning collection / STAT Escort pickup and delivery to Flow Cytometry Lab, Room 3S240 / 3S238. 
• Specimens received before 1:00 p.m. will be processed the same day.
• Specimens arriving after 1:00 p.m. will not be processed without pathologist pre-approval (see 2. above)

4. A Specimen Cap Is in Effect. Even after approval, "Emergency" specimens will take priority over previously scheduled specimens. Emergency specimens are always processed. Only a Flow Cytometry pathologist can designate a specimen as "Emergency" or "Rush" after direct contact (see 2. above).

5. Emergency, Weekend, Holiday and Evening Specimen Delivery.

Blood specimens collected 24 hours before a workday will be processed the next day (i.e., on Sunday before a Monday or on a holiday before a workday). Deliver to the Flow Cytometry Drop Box located in 3North corridor near 3N248.  Blood specimens collected more than 24 hours before a workday will not be processed; recollect.

Go to "After Work Hours" for more information.
 

Weekend and evening specimens will only be processed in extreme cases when a life-threatening clinical situation requires immediate treatment based, at least partially, on flow cytometry results.

For EMERGENCY weekend or holiday delivery or processing of CSF, Fluid, or BM specimens, call the NIH Page Operator (301) 496-1211 to contact the Pathology Resident On-Call.

Non-Emergency routine weekend and evening specimens sent to local reference laboratories will be billed to the clinical protocol.  

Flow Cytometry Clinical Services

Specimen Ordering and Labeling

Specimen Rejection

Specimen Transport Media and Delivery