[Histonet] (no subject)

[Janice Mahoney]

Very good question Cindi.Jan

> Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2011 09:26:18 -0400
> From: robinsoc <@t> mercyhealth.com
> To: mamawooo <@t> hotmail.com; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; christiegowan <@t> msn.com
> Subject: RE: [Histonet] (no subject)
> 
> It is a good thing this vendor does not work in a histo lab because with that comment/attitude he/she would not last long. I have heard the water bath theory but upon investigation this has never been the source because every histotech I work with cleans it each and every time. We have traced floaters back to grossing stations, processors...especially placenta getting 'snagged' on a piece of bone...embedding forceps (we now use ones with no grooves), forcep warmers, stains and coverslippers. We have significantly reduced the number we see since we make the effort to track each one found as an ongoing QA project, but we still see the occasional floater.  We did find that we have to put tissue types which fragment easily into mesh cassettes or bags but this can cause issues with fluid exchange and carryover during processing. It is a balancing act. I have always wondering about the newer processors with orientation cassettes which are embed and then cut without opening. Do they see less floaters with this type of 'closed' system? 
> 
> 
> 
> Cindi Robinson HT(ASCP)
> Mercy Medical Center
> Dunes Medical Laboratories
> 350 W Anchor Dr
> Dakota Dunes SD 57049
> phone-712-279-2768
> robinsoc <@t> mercyhealth.com
> 
> 
> >>> CHRISTIE GOWAN <christiegowan <@t> msn.com> 10/6/2011 7:44 AM >>>
> 
> I agree with you Jan. In my 30 + years as a histotech (yes, I am old too) I have seen floaters come from a variety of places but I am hard pressed to remember any floater coming from the water bath. Today we are blessed with DNA fingerprinting to determine if the floater is or is not from the patient but that still does not address the real issue of where did it come from and how do we stop it. The vendors stating that it is not an issue have never been re-biopsied because of a floater in with their tissue. Good discussion and long overdue. I look forward to the day when it is no longer an automatic response from all involved that it is "Histology's fault". Hope you are enjoying your new adventures in retirement. See you next year in Canada!
>  
> 
> > From: mamawooo <@t> hotmail.com 
> > To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
> > Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2011 14:11:25 -1000
> > Subject: [Histonet] (no subject)
> > 
> > 
> > Hello everyone,After being home from the NSH for a few weeks I have been pondering an issue that I think bears discussion on the histonet.There have been several papers published regarding "floaters" and the amount determined to come from traditional staining buckets. There was also a poster presented at the NSH this year on the subject.When I approached several vendors of H&E stainers about this issue. The answers were surprisingly pretty much the same. It is not an issue! Now I understand how one company can make this claim as their stainer uses fresh stain on each slide. The explanations from the other companies were insulting and just plain did not make sense to me. I was told by a Histo tech vendor that "All Histo techs know that floaters come from the water bath." Well, she was talking to a histo tech and I know for a fact that floaters come from a variety of places. I have seen them from the doctor's office or procedure room to the stainer and every step in between. Sometimes if the "floater" is in the block it is very difficult to determine where it originated. We can however eliminate the water bath and stainer as the origin in these cases. One company told me that the design of the solution bottle eliminated floaters because floaters float and their stainer draws solutions from the bottom of the bottle. I have probably changed thousands of staining dishes during my 40+ year career (yes, I am old) and I have seen lots of little pieces of tissue at the bottom of the staining dishes. So, no, not all floaters float. I would love to hear feedback from others on this. I guess I would appreciate feedback about the floater issue as well as how a few vendors can make such claims and expect Histology techs to buy it. I really felt that a few comments were insulting to our profession and to the knowledge and expertise we possess. JanOmaha _______________________________________________
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