After the brushing is performed, the brush is rolled across the slide in an area approximately centimeters in diameter (the size of a quarter) to produce a thin evenly layered smear. 8 The slide should be fixed immediately. Immediate fixation of the cellular sample is necessary to prevent air- drying which obscures cellular detail and compromises specimen evaluation. Fixation can be by immersion (preferably) or spray fixation. Immersion fixation consists of placing the smear into 95% alcohol or its equivalent. 12 If the specimen is immersed in alcohol, it may remain in the alcohol for transport to the laboratory
