[Histonet] Registration is now open for the NSH Forum on Troubleshooting Stains

[Aubrey Wanner]

NSH has recruited two of its highest rated speakers to bring you this
one day forum dedicated to troubleshooting stains. New and seasoned
Histotechs will benefit from their insights and handout material.
Special for this event - handouts will be available for download in
color following the event.

 

The event will take place February 19, 2011 in Bethesda, MD, 8am -
4:30pm.  Individuals can register via the NSH website,
http://www.nsh.org/stainforum <http://www.nsh.org/stainforum>    

 

Topics include:



AM Session: Troubleshooting Hematoxylin and Eosin Staining

Presented by Ada Feldman, MS, HT/HTL(ASCP)CM, Anatech Ltd, Battle Creek,
MI

Hematoxylin and eosin is the primary diagnostic stain in anatomical
pathology. However, tissue processing and staining procedure steps can
all affect the H&E's final appearance, potentially interfering with
diagnosis. This workshop will help the histotech troubleshoot such
common problems of smudgy nuclei, improper staining, "soap suds",
haziness and more. The workshop will review the steps in tissue
processing (fixation through slide drying) and H&E staining
(deparaffinization through coverslipping) that can alter the stained
appearance of a slide. Traditional reagents (formalin, alcohol, xylene)
as well as substitute reagents (xylene substitutes, special fixatives,
formalin-free fixatives) are discussed.

 

PM Session: Troubleshooting Immunohistochemical Stains

Presented by Richard W. Cartun, MS, PhD, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT

Results from immunohistochemical stains are essential for patient
diagnosis and treatment. The major goal of standardization in
immunohistochemical testing is to produce high-quality stains where the
results are accurate and reproducible, both in your laboratory and in
others. Do you find yourself repeating a lot of immunohistochemical
stains due to high background, uneven immunoreactivity, weak
immunoreactivity, or a negative result when your pathologist tells you
it should be positive? This workshop will examine causes of suboptimal
immunohistochemical staining including poor fixation, poor tissue
sectioning, inadequate antigen retrieval, antibody dilution errors, and
detection system problems. The importance of antibody validation, use of
positive and negative controls, and quality assurance/quality control
procedures will also be discussed.