Geisinger Medical Laboratories Test Catalog

TZANCK SMEAR
Geisinger Epic Procedure Code: LAB4098 Geisinger Epic ID: 17605
SPECIMEN COLLECTION
Specimen type:	Scraping from base of vesicle
Preferred collection container:	Glass Slides
Specimen required:	Labeled glass slides with direct smeared specimen, air dried.
SPECIMEN PROCESSING
Specimen processing instructions:	Obtain scraping from base of lesion, removing top layer of vesicle if necessary. Quickly smear material on glass slide. Allow slide to air dry. Label slides with two patient identifiers.
Transport temperature:	Room temperature.
Rejection criteria:	Inadequate patient identifiers on specimen, unlabeled specimen, discrepancy between patient specimen and requisition information, improper collection.
TEST DETAILS
CPT code(s):	88161
	Note: The billing party has sole responsibility for CPT coding. Any questions regarding coding should be directed to the payer being billed. The CPT codes provided by GML are based on AMA guidelines and are for informational purposes only.
Test includes:	Microscopic examiniation of DiffQuick-stained smears.
Synonyms:	HERPES, TZANCK PREP CYTOLOGY
Clinical significance:	Detection of inflammatory or infectious processes of the skin, especially herpetic infection.
Doctoral Director(s:)	Sara Monaco MD
Review Date:	12/23/2022