Testing Laboratory
Auckland Te Toka Tumai | Auckland HospitalDepartment
Chemical Pathology
Delphic Registration Code (Alpha Code)
OTHY
Test Code (Numeric Code)
0527
Laboratory Handling
Transport
Send 0.5 - 1mL of saline wash. Transport at ambient temperature, or frozen if greater than 48 hours.
Registration
Other Fluids - please give a copy of the form to the Cobas operator.
Sample Stability
48h at room temperature, 72h at 4°C, 1 month at -20°C (pack insert)
Synonyms
Other Fluid Thyroglobulin, FNA Thyroglobulin, Thyroglobulin, FNA saline washing
Turnaround Time
1 day
This test may be vetted by the laboratory. Please include relevant clinical information on the request form to ensure appropriate tests are approved. See the 'Clinical Information' section below for more information on the indications for testing.
Specimen Type
- Fluid Other
Specimen Requirements
Tube/Container Type:
Preferred
- Specimen Container
Preferred Sample Volume (ml)
1
Minimum Sample Volume (ml)
0.5
Paediatric Specimen Requirements
Tube/Container Type:
Preferred
- Specimen Container
Preferred Sample Volume (ml)
1
Minimum Sample Volume (ml)
0.5
Pre-testing Requirements
Testing for thyroglobulin in saline washout of needle following FNA of lymph nodes.
Wash the needle with as little saline as possible (around 1mL is preferred). Using an excessive volume of saline dilutes the sample. Other substances (e.g. ethylene glycol) may not be acceptable.
- Draw 1ml of normal saline (0.9% NaCl) through the syringe barrel hole into the syringe. Expel any air. Then reattach the needle which has been used for the FNA, and expel the saline into a plain bottle or tube.
- If several aspirates are collected from the same lymph node, the rinsing saline from each aspirate can be collected into the same collection bottle/tube.
- Brisk triple pumping of the saline through the needle is recommended to facilitate dislodgement of the aspirate into the saline.
- Samples in gel-containing tubes or in heparin tubes are not acceptable.
Last updated: 10/08/2026