[Histonet] Problems with Denatured Alcohol?

[Pamela Marcum]

Wanda, 



The first thing you need to find out is what did they denature it with.  Denatured alcohol may not be the mixture of isopropanol and methanol in ethanol you were getting and could be chemically denatured.  



This is a problem that comes up when we don't check all the variables in what is actually in the products we buy and the vendor doesn't tell us why it got cheaper.  If it is a chemical denaturing of the alcohol it could be designed for use in one of many fields just not histology.  The real requirement for reagent and denatured alcohol with the ATF is that the product be undrinkable or unfit for human consumption.  Also different manufacturers use varying amounts of isopropanol/methanol/ethanol and that can change the way it processes and stains tissue.  The best is 5% each of isopropanol and methanol with the remaining 90% ethanol. 



Pam Marcum 

UAMS 


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Smith Wanda" <Wanda.Smith <@t> HCAhealthcare.com> 
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
Sent: Monday, January 4, 2010 9:25:08 AM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central 
Subject: [Histonet] Problems with Denatured Alcohol? 

Happy New Year to Everyone!!!!! 
We recently changed from Reagent Alcohol to Denatured Alcohol as a cost saving measure per the "bean counters".  The cutting histotechs have started complaining that the tissue seems dry and they are having difficulty cutting sections.  Has anyone else had this problem and are there any adjustments in processing times, etc that may help the situation??? 
Thanks, 
Wanda 

WANDA G. SMITH, HTL(ASCP)HT 
Pathology Supervisor 
TRIDENT MEDICAL CENTER 
9330 Medical Plaza Drive 
Charleston, SC  29406 
843-847-4586 
843-847-4296 fax 


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