II. Indication
- Confirms Viral Infection (does not identify virus type)
- Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)
- Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV)
III. Obtaining specimen
IV. Preparing Specimen
- Gently heat slide over match
- Heat for 10 seconds until warm
- Fixes tissue to slide
- Place drops of stain
- Giemsa stain
- Pap stain
- Wright's stain
- Allow stain to sit on slide for over 1 minute
- Rinse off stain under gently Running water
- Put on a drop of immersion oil or Mineral Oil
- Apply cover slip
V. Examination of specimen
- Examine under 10x power
- Scan for smear bands
- Background of lightly stained debris
- Look for darkly stained cells
- Examine cells under 43x power
- Positive Test: Multinucleated Giant Cells
- Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)
- Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV)
- Positive Test: Multinucleated Giant Cells
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Related Studies
| Concepts | Laboratory Procedure (T059) |
| SnomedCT | 84095005 |
| LNC | LP6567-4 |
| English | Tzanck smear (procedure), tzanck smear, Tzanck smear, Tzanck smear method (procedure), Tzanck smear method |
| Spanish | extendido de Tzanck (procedimiento), extendido de Tzanck, método de extendido de Tzanck (procedimiento), método de extendido de Tzanck |
