[Histonet] Slides & blocks - Biohazard?

[Houston, Ronnie]

Kevin,

You should be reviewing documents from your home base, UK, before commenting
about prions. 

Unless infected tissue is post-fixed in formic acid for 1 hour, and then
further fixed in formalin, it is still considered infectious. Shavings from
a CJD case must then be collected, bagged and incinerated.

However, once a section has been coverslipped and sealed, and then the slide
wiped with a recommended disinfectant, eg  sodium hypochlorite (20,000ppm
available chlorine), it is considered safe and should be treated as you
would a normal slide.

Incidentally, tissue and fluids from the female reproductive tract are not
classified as being infectious; although placenta is classed as being of low
infectivity and should be incinerated.

Ronnie

Ronnie Houston
Director of Anatomic Pathology
Bon Secours HealthPartners Laboratories
5801 Bremo Road
Richmond, VA 23226
(804) 287 7972
(804) 287 7906 - fax
ronnie_houston <@t> bshsi.com 


-----Original Message-----
From: kevin williams [mailto:akwilliams75 <@t> hotmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 2:35 PM
To: Jackie.O'Connor <@t> abbott.com; histonet <@t> pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Slides & blocks - Biohazard?



   Prions,  are  not  regulations  and if these are going into land fill,
   surly the odd tampon has more prions than shavings.
   >From: Jackie.O'Connor <@t> abbott.com
   >To: "kevin williams" <akwilliams75 <@t> hotmail.com>
   >CC: histonet <@t> pathology.swmed.edu, Rcartun <@t> harthosp.org
   >Subject: RE: [Histonet] Slides & blocks - Biohazard?
   >Date: Tue, 18 May 2004 09:49:55 -0500
   >
   >Prions.
   >
   >
   >
   >
   >
   >
   >"kevin williams" <akwilliams75 <@t> hotmail.com>
   >Sent by: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
   >05/18/2004 09:31 AM
   >
   >
   >         To:     Rcartun <@t> harthosp.org, histonet <@t> pathology.swmed.edu
   >         cc:
   >         Subject:        RE: [Histonet] Slides & blocks - Biohazard?
   >
   >
   >
   >    Dear Richard:
   >
   >    I  have  been  told that shavings are not Biohazard, because they
   have
   >    been  processed,  so  how  can  a  single "shaving" on a slide be
   considered
   >    biohazard?
   >
   >    Yours faithfully,
   >
   >    A. Kevin Williams
   >    >From: "Richard Cartun" <Rcartun <@t> harthosp.org>
   >    >To: <Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
   >    >Subject: [Histonet] Slides & blocks - Biohazard?
   >    >Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 14:22:21 -0400
   >    >
   >    >Are   glass   microscopic  slides  and  paraffin  tissue  blocks
   considered
   >    >"biohazards"?  We  occasionally  receive either unstained slides
   or a
   >    >paraffin  tissue  block   in  a  "Biohazard"  bag  from  another
   institution
   >    for
   >    >special   testing.  Technically  speaking,  the  only  personnel
   allowed to
   >    >handle  those  materials  would  be  those  individuals  wearing
   gloves.
   >    >
   >    >Richard Cartun
   >    >
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   >References
   >
   >    1. http://g.msn.com/8HMBENUS/2737??PS=47575
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References

   1. http://g.msn.com/8HMAENUS/2740??PS=47575
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