ENDOCERVICAL BRUSH VERSUS COTTON SWAB FOR OBTAINING CERVICAL SMEARS AT A CLINIC - A COST COMPARISON

Use of the nylon endocervical brush has been shown to increase the pro portion of Papanicolaou smears with endocervical cells in a variety of populations. Each endocervical brush is approximately 100 times more expensive than the cotton swab that has been used routinely for cervic al cytology collection. We sought to determine prospectively whether t he endocervical brush would be cost effective by reducing the need for repeat sampling due to Papanicolaou smears' lacking endocervical cell s. Cervical cytology specimens showed no endocervical cells in 114 (20 %) of 561 women sampled with a cotton swab and Ayre spatula. In contra st, 37 (7%) of 511 women sampled with the endocervical brush and Ayre spatula had no endocervical cells in their specimens. A cost analysis showed that at our clinic, where approximately 3,300 Papanicolaou smea rs are performed annually, annual savings of > $22,000 would be realiz ed by use of endocervical brushes.