[Histonet] Negative Reagent Control

[Richard Cartun]

Most of you know that I have been advocating for the elimination of the "Negative Reagent Control" when using a non-avidin-biotin detection system (polymer) in immunohistochemical testing.  In my opinion, it is a waste of healthcare dollars and, more importantly, precious patient specimen.  Last year at the NSH IHC Forum in Denver I met James Dvorak, MT(ASCP) from the College of American Pathologists.  We had a long discussion about this and he agreed to support my position within CAP.  With the support of James, and the help of Dr. Regan Fulton (from the CAP IHC Committee), the wording on the CAP Anatomic Pathology checklist for question ANP.22570 will be changed.  The new wording includes the following sentence:

"Immunohistochemical tests using polymer-based detection systems (biotin-free) are sufficiently free of background reactivity to obviated the need for a negative reagent control and such controls may be omitted at the discretion of the laboratory director."

I announced this change at the 2012 NSH IHC/ISH Forum this past weekend in Windsor, CT to "loud applause".  This one change stands to save the healthcare system millions of dollars.  Thank you Jim and Dr. Fulton for making this happen!

Richard

Richard W. Cartun, MS, PhD
Director, Histology & Immunopathology
Director, Biospecimen Collection Programs
Assistant Director, Anatomic Pathology
Hartford Hospital
80 Seymour Street
Hartford, CT  06102
(860) 545-1596 Office
(860) 545-2204 Fax