[Histonet] Gloves ... a question

[RSRICHMOND <@t> aol.com]

Terry Murphy HTL(ASCP) notes:

>>I once had a pathologist complain [about] dead skin cells on his slides 
when he saw that I did not wear gloves when I was cutting. Anyone else ever hear 
this from a pathologist?<<

and Cynthia Favara, NIAID/NIH/RML/LPVD, in Hamilton, Montana replies:

>>I have seen this myself. I think most pathologists are skilled at tuning 
out such things. I wear glove for this reason as well as many others.<<

This old pathologist has ignored a lot of skin cells on slides - occasionally 
they're a nuisance in a confusing cytologic preparation, or in a cytokeratin 
immunostain - but normally they never rise to the level of consciousness.

My present hospital is trying to be latex-free. Nitrile rubber gloves (the 
purple ones) are a lot more resistant to formaldehyde than latex gloves are.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN and Gastonia NC