[Histonet] Chain of custody

[MTitford <@t> aol.com]

Amy Self & Laurie Colbert ask about chain of ownership on bullets.
We have bullet boxes in our operating room, and in the emergency department. They are like mail boxes with a slot on top but they lock.(You can place stuff in it, but not get it out!)
Nurses place the bullet in a labelled plastic bag with a copy of the surgical pathology request form and place it in the bullet box,and log the specimen in on a special log.
On the next working day our gross room tech unlocks the box (we have the only key) and signs for the bullet.
After the bullet is grossed in, we lock it away again. Sometimes, a long time later, the bullet gets subpoenaed
We have our risk management department handle subpoenas, but we occasionally get calls from police departments asking if we have a bullet from such and such a patient. Because of HIPPA we have to tell them to subpoena the record.
Our University lawyer has blessed this procedure.


Mike Titford
USA Pathology
Mobile AL