[Histonet] Retaining empty jars

[mtitford <@t> aol.com]

Rhonda Hartz asks if anyone else retains empty jars after grossing.

We too retain our empty jars after grossing for about a month. We keep them in a red biohazard trash bag. It pays dividends. If once the case has been signed out the physician/surgeon complains that they removed more biopsies than we listed in the report, or submitted more jars, etc, we can go back and check. On rare occasions we have found tiny pieces of tissue in the jars, or hidden in the grooves of the lid. These enquiries most often happen with tiny pieces of tissue, of course, like GI biopsies.

 We have the physicians write on the label on the jar what is inside it (like everyone else I guess) as well as listing it on the surgical pathology slip. You can also go back and check what they wrote down.

Afterwards the jars are incinerated as they have all that HIPPA related stuff on the labels.

Michael Titford
USA Pathology
Mobile AL USA