[Histonet] Expired antibodies...for immunos..

[Joe Nocito]

Oh boy,
I get to get flamed again.
 JCAHO and CAP do not let you use expired reagents, including antibodies.
therefore, everyone gets to through money down the drain time and time 
again.
    I called CAP and talked to a person who got very defensive when I asked 
him to give the rule that says we can not use expired antibodies. He 
referred me to the U.S. National Register. I'm sorry, I don't have that 
information with right now but I'm sure someone will let me know.
    My beef is, if you run a known positive control with every run, you are, 
in essence, revalidating that antibody. Once that antibody doesn't work, 
replace it with one that has not expired. I know this causes a repeat and 
maybe a delay in reporting the results, but ask your pathologists if they 
would want a one day delay, or throw thousands of dollars down the sink.
    When I was supervising the immuno lab at the AFIP, we froze concentrated 
antibodies at -70 C and they still worked up to 10 years later. Now, you 
can't even do that. A big waste, that what it is, a big waste.
    Let Flaming Friday begin.

Joe Nocito BS, HT(ASCP)QIHC
Histology Manager
Pathology Reference Lab
San Antonio, TX

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <KMB1904 <@t> aol.com>
To: <histonet <@t> pathology.swmed.edu>
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2006 2:23 PM
Subject: [Histonet] Expired antibodies...for immunos..


> How does JCAHO handle expired antibodies if you have them...and are using
> them...
>  Is it ok ....or not??
>   Kat
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