[Histonet] Chain of Custody for LEA

[Laurie Colbert]

Amy, 

I would be interested in any info you get, as I need to write a procedure, too.  Right now, Surgery hand-carries the specimen (usually a bullet) to Pathology (or locks it up until Pathology is open)and everyone that has handled the specimen has to sign the Chain of Custody form.  Our pathologist grosses it and then we lock it up until a detective comes to get it.  A lot of times we have problems with aliases, as the name the detective has is not the same name that we have.  

What I would like to see is our Security department to get involved.  I would like them to pick up the specimen from Surgery, bring it to Pathology and wait while a Pathologist grosses it, and then take it for safe-keeping.  When the detectives come for the specimen, they will contact Security.

Laurie Colbert
Huntington Memorial Hospital
Pasadena, CA

-----Original Message-----
From: Amy Self [mailto:ASelf <@t> gmhsc.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2003 9:12 AM
To: 'histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu'
Subject: [Histonet] Chain of Custody for LEA




	Hello HistoNetters,

	Does anyone have a policy/procedure on how they handle specimens
being removed from the body for Law Enforcement Agencies(LEA) that they
could share with me.  We have a Chain of Custody form that we fill out for
such incidents but we need to write up a procedure. My doc was wandering how
other hospitals were handling these situations whether the specimen/foreign
body be removed in the OR, ER, or from an autopsy.  Thanks for your help in
advance...


	Amy Self
	Georgetown Memorial Hospital
	843-520-7882 (fax)
	   

	


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