[Histonet] RE: Histonet Digest, Vol 61, Issue 20

[Terri Braud]

Hi - Here we perform the silver step with a hot plate under the hood.  As the slides are going into the sodium metabisulfite step, we turn on a hot plate on high. Then we mix the silver solution according to the procedure, put it in a beaker on the hot plate, rinse our slides with microwaved hot DI water a few times, leaving them in hot DI water.  We gently swirl the silver solution as it heats and just when it starts to turn color (right before boiling), we dump the hot water off the slides and pour on the silver.  The tissue usually stains within 45-60 seconds, a little longer if your silver is not really hot. Rinse with hot DI water afterwards.  I was a little dubious when I first heard about it, but we too, do not have a vented microwave, using it only to heat water.  This works great, though no one here could tell us who came up with the idea.
You do have to use hot water before and after to keep from breaking coplin jars or slides from drastic temp changes.

Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP)
Anatomic Pathology Supervisor
Laboratory
Holy Redeemer Hospital and Medical Center
1648 Huntingdon Pike
Meadowbrook, PA 19046
(215) 938-3676 phone
(215) 938-3689 fax


-----Original Message-----
Message: 9
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:52:19 -0500
From: TIMOTHY MALLOY <tmalloy77 <@t> hotmail.com>
Subject: [Histonet] SPECIAL STAIN PNUEMOCYSTSIS

We currently use a stain called grocotts silver methenimine solution for staining pnuemocystis. We would like to use a hot plate for the procedure instead of a unvented microwave. Does anybody have any formula's the would like to share with the hot plate? 

Timothy G. Malloy, HT ( ASCP ) A.A.S.

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