[Histonet] yeast and bacteria on slides

[Bonner, Janet]

Melissa,
  We are a 24-7 operation and had the same problem when our shifts exceeded
eight hours and some of the waterbathes were not changed out.  Changing the
waterbath out when each shift was done totally eliminated the problem.
-Janet

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu]On Behalf Of Melissa
Jans
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2005 8:40 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] yeast and bacteria on slides


I need some help!!
We have been experiencing some yeast and bacteria showing up on some of our
special stains.  It started about 2 weeks ago and seems to be sporadic (one
day...no problems, the next day, several stains are affected).  The yeast
and bacteria (rods) are clumped together all over the slide, on the tissue
sections, around the sections and on the slide in areas where there is no
tissue.  The stains we have seen the contamination are the Gram, PAS/D, PAS
and GMS.  All of these stains are automated except the Gram, so I do not
think the special stainer is the problem.
Here is what I have eliminated as problem areas:
-Processor solutions and paraffin (we cut and stained a block from another
institute and had contamination) 
-Waterbaths, slide drying boards, water containers (used to fill
waterbathes), stainer containers, ice pans (all of the mentioned have been
thoroughly bleached)
-Tap water and DI water (all water supplies have been tested by sending a
sample to micro...there was no bacteria or yeast detected)
-Stay-on used as a slide adhesive (smeared some on a slide and stained it)
-Bad batch of slides (we have had contamination on two different slide
sources (vendors))
 
Does anybody have any ideas?  What am I missing?  Any suggestions would be
much appreciated.
 
Melissa Jans
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics

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