A 27-year-old female is being seen in the office today for her yearly GYN exam. The medical assistant sets up the equipment, obtains needed information from the patient, and instructs the patient to...

A 27-year-old female is being seen in the office today for her yearly GYN exam. The medical assistant sets up the equipment, obtains needed information from the patient, and instructs the patient to empty her bladder. When the patient is prepared, the provider and medical assistant enter the room for the exam. The provider collects the specimen and places it in the ThinPrep solution. Following the exam, the medical assistant notices that the lid on the ThinPrep container is on crooked. The medical assistant reaches over to reposition the lid and the lid separates from the container, causing the contents to spill all over the floor. A small portion of the solution is still inside the container and the medical assistant picks up the lid and places it back on the container. The patient just finished checking out but has not left the office yet.

1. Will the test need to be repeated?

 2. Would it be best to stop the patient before she leaves the office or call her on the telephone for a new appointment?

 3. If you do stop the patient, should you tell her what happened before you tell the provider?

 4. How could this incident have been prevented?