Bone Marrow Biopsy Operator Experience and Impact on Aspirate, Biopsy, and Ancillary Testing Quality

Abstract Objective To assess the relationship between bone marrow (BM) biopsy operator experience and both specimen quality and ancillary testing utilization. Patients and Methods We evaluated all referred and in-house (IH) BM biopsy specimens obtained over a contiguous 6-week period from April 3, 2017, to May 19, 2017. The BM specimens were assessed for the length of interpretable marrow, and aspirates were assessed for the presence of spicules. Subgroup comparisons included IH BM obtained by a trained team of nurses within our institution, patients clinically referred (CR) to our institution with outside-obtained BM specimens, and outside pathologist-referred (PR) consultation cases. Ancillary study usage was compared between the first 100 cases of each group. Results A total of 1191 BM specimens were analyzed, including 600 IH, 288 CR, and 303 PR cases with biopsies and/or aspirates. The average interpretable biopsy lengths of IH, CR, and PR cases were 16.0 mm, 10.0 mm, and 7.0 mm, respectively ( P P P P P Conclusion Having a dedicated team of BM biopsy operators is likely one factor contributing to improved BM biopsy quality and a reduced need for ancillary testing.