[Histonet] Specimens from surigical units

[Vickroy, Jim]

We are a large pathology department and process over 35,000 surgical accessions each year.  I am interested in learning how other pathology departments keep track of the specimens that are removed in surgery to make sure they are received in pathology.  Obviously all specimens received by pathology are entered into the pathology accessioning system however the question has come up to how do we know that every specimen taken in surgery for pathology is actually received in pathology.  A couple of our surgical units utilize volunteer couriers since the surgical units are not near pathology.   A couple of other units like special procedures and cardiac surgery have a simple notebook that is a signoff when the specimens are taken to pathology, however from there is no tracking system from the main OR or outpatient surgery. In otherwords a specimen could be removed in the OR that was supposed to be sent to pathology does not arrive in pathology.  Obviously this doesn't happen often but we are trying to close the potential for an occurrence.   Specimens removed in surgery are logged into the surgical OR report however  there is no current way for us to track that everything removed that day that was supposed to go to pathology actually made it to pathology.   Any ideas?

Jim Vickroy

James Vickroy BS, HT(ASCP)

Surgical  and Autopsy Pathology Technical Supervisor
Memorial Medical Center
217-788-4046


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