[Histonet] RE: specimen tracking from the OR

[Norm Burnham]

CAP provides good direction on this most critical laboratory issue:

GEN.40530             Phase I	N/A   YES   NO

For specimens submitted to the laboratory from remote sites, is there a
documented tracking system to ensure that all specimens are actually
received?

NOTE:  Documentation should include time of dispatch and receipt, as well as
condition of specimens upon receipt.  An example of an acceptable tracking
system is submission of a packing list (prepared by the client or courier)
with each batch of client specimens, which may be checked against the
specimens received by the laboratory.  Some laboratory tests (e.g.,
coagulation assays) have limitations on time and temperature conditions
between collection and analysis.  This question applies to
couriers/transportation systems that are part of the laboratory organization,
not to outside courier systems.


____________________________________
Norm Burnham, MBA, MT(ASCP), CLS
Director of Laboratory Operations
ProPath - The Leader in Pathology Services
8267 Elmbrook Drive, Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75247
214.237.1602 Office
214.237.1802 Fax
214.709.7127 Cell
Email: norm.burnham <@t> propath.com

To learn more about ProPath, please visit http://www.ProPath.com



-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Terri Braud
Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 12:28 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] RE: specimen tracking from the OR

We are a small hospital lab, too.  There is a log book in the OR, where
specimens are placed for Histo pick up.  The circulating nurse puts a Patient
sticker and handwrites all specimens removed from the patient, regardless of
what they are, and whether or not they have been walked down, tubed, or
waiting pickup.  We make sure that all specimens we remove are listed in the
book, then sign/date/time for them.  Any specimen left for us and not in the
book, or vice versa, we bring to the attention of the OR control desk.  If we
make a run and there are no specimens to pick up, then we still sign and
date/time the log book as "no specimens".   Any specimens brought to the
department are checked before accepting.  Crude and time consuming,
yes....accurate, too.

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

   6. log book (Kathy Gorham)
  
Message: 6
Date: Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:15:47 -0800
From: "Kathy Gorham" <gorhamk <@t> verizon.net>
Subject: [Histonet] log book
Good Monday Morning,  We had a serious incident Friday with O.R.  My aide
went down to get the specimens from O.R. about 9am. (which were left overs
from the night before).  She did not stamp in the specimens before she left.
When I had time to stamp them in and record them in the log book I discovered
that the colon was not there.  Two other specimens from that patient where in
the bag but no colon.  So I went down to O.R. to see where it was.  Of course
no one knows what happened to the colon.  The doctors are furious by all
means.  Now the O.R. thinks the path lab screwed up.  So my questions is how
do others log in the specimens as they come into the lab.  We have 2 couriers
that brings specimens when we are not in the lab from other hospitals.  How
do you make sure that whom ever brings the specimens actually brings the ones
they say they do?  Do you have a log book that every specimen that is brought
into the lab is written down by the person who brings it in?  Right now we
have a log book but it is written in as we are accessing  the specimens.  So
the specimens may have been there overnight. We are a very small lab and we
do almost everything by hand including writing in the log book.  Someday we
want to be able to scan by bar codes but right now we can not do that. Thanks
for any help you can give me. 
Kathy Gorham, H.T.

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