Factors that cause false-negative results in oncotic cytology exams: an integrative review

• Autor(a) principal: Costa, Maria Cristiane Oliveira
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Melo, Carla Mayla Silva de, Lima, Eduarda dos Santos, Cunha, Jean Carlos Rodrigues da, Serejo, Ana Paula Muniz, Morais, Heliana de Araújo
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Research, Society and Development
• Texto Completo: https://rsdjournal.org/index.php/rsd/article/view/19079
• topic: Teste de Papanicolaou; Neoplasias do colo do útero; Controle de qualidade; Controle analítico de qualidade.; Prueba de Papanicolaou; Neoplasias cervicales; Control de calidad; Control de calidad analítico; Pap smear test; Cervical neoplasms; Quality control; Analytical quality control.

Cervical cancer (CCU) is considered a serious public health problem in the world, being the third malignancy with the highest mortality rate among Brazilian women. The Pap smear test, known as the Papanicolaou test, is a valuable strategy for the early diagnosis of CC, since it is a method with high precision and low cost. The research aims to review the literature regarding possible factors that can lead to false-negative results in the Pap smear. An integrative review was carried out in the online databases: Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS); Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDILINE) and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO). 15 articles were selected and published between the years 2015 to 2020, in English and Portuguese. The main factors responsible for false results – negative refers to errors that occurred in the pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical phases, the execution of the collection with an inadequate sample, is a phase that impacts the analysis of the smear when the professional misinterprets the tests, usually due to an inadequate color and improper preparation of the slides or even by practice and insufficient training. The quality of the Pap smear depends on the quality control of cytopathological tests, as this is based on measures to detect, correct and reduce errors caused in the phases: pre-analytical; analytical and post-analytical, thus avoiding false-negative results.In addition, the continuous training of professionals working in the health area directly reflects on the good quality and reliability of exams in general, with emphasis here on the Pap smear.