[Histonet] Control Tissue

[Victoria Baker]

Ann,

Last time I tried to do this it was a real 'sticky wicket' because of
the HIPPA guidelines.  In my case it was for research and it took me a
lot of wrangling to get it.  It used to be that you could purchase
tissue blocks from vendors who would obtain them from hospital
mortuary or signed out cases.  I even tried once to see if I could get
one of the vendors who sell the cut slides to sell my lab a block and
they would not sighting HIPPA and a few other rules/laws possibly
$$'s.  The CDC used to have certain tissue blocks available years ago,
but that has also stopped.

Not knowing what type of lab (reference, research - essentially
non-hospital) you work in I only have a couple of options that I can
think of.  I got the help of a pathologist and my Director of Research
to reach out to sites that might be willing to help us with obtaining
tissue for control material but we had to sign documentation that it
would only be used for research purposes etc and we paid a 'donation'
to them for use in teaching at their site.  If you do work for
hospitals in your lab, possibly you and a trusted pathologist could
contact one or two of them to see if they could help you.  I disliked
having to do all this cloak n' dagger nonsense to get the tissue I
needed, but it was the only way I could think of at the time.

Also, what about ASCP/NSH/State chapters.  Maybe someone has a contact
that can help you as well.

As to getting it at no cost, I have no idea if this is possible anymore.

You're caught between the perpetual rock and hard place with this.
You need the tissue to perform the test to help dx the patient, but
guidelines prevent you from getting the materials you need to do that
test.

Vikki

On 6/7/08, thisisann <@t> aol.com <thisisann <@t> aol.com> wrote:
> Does anyone know where I can get control tissue.? I know I can purchase slides, but is there a website that I can go to to request control tissue at no cost, tissue such as tonsil, etc. that a hospital is discarding?
> Thanks,
> Ann
> _______________________________________________
> Histonet mailing list
> Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
>