[Histonet] Formalin storage

[Wesley Simms, MD]

At our hospital, placentas are floated in formalin in L&D.   Sometimes they 
don't do a very good job of it, and just "anoint" them. I think it would be 
a silly waste of personnel time, as well as creating the possiblity of 
exposing staff, patients and visitors to potentially infectious material in 
the event of a spill, to have every placenta delivered fresh to histology. 
What's more hazardous, an occasional whiff of 10% NBF, or a hepatitis C 
infected placenta spilled in the hallway?
Wesley W. Simms
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom McNemar" <TMcNemar <@t> lmhealth.org>
To: <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 10:13 AM
Subject: [Histonet] Formalin storage


I have a meeting tomorrow to discuss the keeping of formalin in the surgery 
and L&D areas.  The hospital just had a JCAHO inspection and the inspectors 
didn't like it very much.  They suggested that the 5 gallon carboys should 
be stored in hoods or removed from the areas.  They went on to say that all 
specimens should be taken to Histology as fresh specimens and that the 
Histology personnel should be the ones putting formalin on the specimens. 
The inspectors said that that was how all of the larger hospitals did it but 
no one that I have spoken to does it that way.

So my question....  Does anybody (or a significant number of you) do it this 
way?

Personally, I can't see how this can be good for the specimens.  Specimens 
would have to be delivered immediately and someone would have to be 
available 24/7 to take care of them.  I just don't see how it can work.  I 
would appreciate any thoughts.  Thanks.


Tom McNemar, HT(ASCP)
Histology Co-ordinator
Licking Memorial Health Systems
(740) 348-4163
(740) 348-4166
tmcnemar <@t> lmhealth.org
www.LMHealth.org


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