cervical smear [L, cervix + AS, smero, grease] , a small amount of the secretions and superficial cells of the cervix, secured from the external os of the cervix with a sterile applicator or special small wooden or plastic spatula. For a Papanicolaou’s smear, it is obtained from the squamocolumnar junction of the uterine cervix and from the vaginal vault and endocervical canal. The specimen is spread on a labeled glass slide and sent for cytological examination. For bacteriological culture and identification, only the applicator is used; the specimen is spread on a glass slide and stained and examined under a microscope or placed in or on a culture medium and sent to a bacteriological laboratory for culture and identification.
