Hospital visiting guidelines updated 20 July 2022: Hospital visitors must wear a surgical/medical paper mask. Fabric face coverings are no longer acceptable. See our COVID-19 pages for detailed information about hospital visiting guidelines, COVID-19 tests and care in the community advice. See www.vaccinatecanterburywestcoast.nz for information about vaccinations.
We are at ORANGE according to the NZ COVID-19 Protection Framework
Last updated:
9th April 2022
Kia whakahaumaru te whānau, me ngā iwi katoa – this is to keep everybody safe:
By sticking to the rules above, you help keep our patients, staff, other visitors and yourself safe. We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as our staff work hard to protect and care for some of the most vulnerable in our community.
Exceptions to the ‘one visitor’ policy
Visiting patients with COVID-19
You must NOT visit the hospital if you
Exceptions for people with disabilities
An exception will be made for people with disabilities who are in hospital or have to attend an outpatient appointment – where they need a support person to access health services. For example, a sign language interpreter, support person for someone with a learning disability, or someone to assist with mobility. The support person is in addition to the one permitted visitor.
Everyone visiting our facilities must wear a mask, no exceptions
While we appreciate that some people have legitimate reasons for being exempt from wearing a mask and may even have an official card to confirm this, people who cannot or will not wear a mask cannot visit someone in hospital or attend hospital, other than to access healthcare. This is another measure to minimise the risk to vulnerable patients.
Patients and visitors should also read the additional more detailed visiting guidelines for each specific hospital.
More COVID-19 information
An adjunct test to cytological examination of fine needle aspiration specimens in athyrotic individuals treated for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). FLuids other than saline washes require prior consultation with a CHLabs Pathologist.
Endo/Steroid Lab
TGFN
TGFN
4 days
8849
Specimen Collection Protocols:
After biopsy and expulsion of the material for cytology:
1. Wash each needle from a single lymph node nodule with 0.1 - 0.5 ml lots of normal saline, then combine the washings from a single node into a tube and cap it. The recommended volume is 0.5 - 1.0 ml per node, maximum 1.5 ml.
2. Centrifuge the specimen if there is visible blood or tissue. Transfer supernatant to a new tube.
3. Freeze for transport.
If more than one node is biopsied, the washings from each node must be submitted as separate specimens.
Frozen
If overnight - Frozen
1.0 - 1.5 ml
1. A recent study reported that a TG cut-off of 1 ug/L for FNA-needle wash specimens provided 100% sensitiviy and 96.2% specificity for the detection of metastatic thyroid carcinoma in lymph nodes – refer J.CLin.Endocrinol.Metab. 2007; 92 (11): 4278 – 4281. This cut-off applies only to total needle wash volumes of <1.5 ml of normal saline.
2. FNA-TG levels should not be interpreted as absolute evidence of presence or absence of malignant disease. Results should be used in conjunction with clinical evaluation, cytology and imaging procedure information.
3. The test has been validated only in single lymphnodes from athyrotic patients.
4. FNA-TG should not be used to screen asymptomatic individuals for neoplastic disease.
5. TG may be undetactable in some undifferentiated metastases and cytology should be performed.
6. The adequacy of the biopsy sample, wash volume and matrix may affect the reported TG concentration.
Beckman-Coulter Access analyser (ICMA)
$103.68 (Exclusive of GST)
8849
Uncertainty of Measurement:
0.1 ug/L for 1 ug/L
Urgent testing by arrangement