[Histonet] Standardizing staining/IHC protocols by case or tissue type

[Rene J Buesa]

You CANNOT establish a protocol based on tissue types. That is for starters. You have to standardize a general protocol, in the same way that you set your tissue processor with a "general protocol" that will be good enough to process any type of tissue.
This means that your pathologists are right and that they order ANY procedure they think will help them to determine a correct diagnosis.
You have to develop a standard protocol for IHC good enough for ANY epitope detection. The only acceptable variable is the pH for HIER and the dilution of the antibody. Everything else should be standard.
So you are wrong in your assumption and your pathologist is right (at least for once!).
René J.
 

--- On Fri, 10/7/11, Pohl, Brandon J <bpohl <@t> swedishamerican.org> wrote:


From: Pohl, Brandon J <bpohl <@t> swedishamerican.org>
Subject: [Histonet] Standardizing staining/IHC protocols by case or tissue type
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Date: Friday, October 7, 2011, 1:07 PM


I am having trouble getting my pathologists to understand that their lack of standardization or consistency in ordering special stains and IHC is resulting in such low volumes that many of the stains or antibodies are not cost effective for us to run.  They seem to think that the way they each individually order certain stains based on preference or comfort level in reading is a norm amongst all pathologists.  I am hoping to get some feedback from anyone willing in order to find out if they are correct or if my point of standardizing their methods is valid.  For anyone willing to share, could you please let me know what types of protocols or panels you have established for different types of tissues or different types of cancers that are SOP for each of those cases.  I know some cases require flexibility and variation, but we have very little in terms of standardization that each pathologist follows.  Thanks!


Brandon Pohl MAT, HTL (ASCP)
Histology Supervisor
Swedish American Hospital
Rockford, IL 61104
815-489-4279
bpohl <@t> swedishamerican.org
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