[Histonet] HT HistoDeck question...
Lee & Peggy Wenk
lpwenk <@t> sbcglobal.net
Thu Oct 3 09:21:42 CDT 2013
I agree, there is probably more than one correct answer to this question,
depending upon whether you are planning on doing stains for lipids, IHC,
immunofluoresence or muscle enzymes.
But I don't think (A) full strength 37-40% formaldehyde solution would ever
be the correct answer. Unless you put a gauze in the bottom on the coplin
jar, pour a little conc. formaldehyde on the gauze, put a lid on the coplin
jar, and fix the section in formaldehyde vapors. But the question does say
SOLUTION, not VAPOR. So I still think A is wrong. And most likely full
strength acetic acid (C) is wrong - would eat the tissue off the slide.
That leaves cold acetone (B) , which is good for some antibodies and some
enzymes, or alcoholic formalin (D) which might be OK, but most of the time
things either like alcohol and hate formalin, or they like formalin and
don't like alcohol. So I would think most FS that we want to fix would not
particularly like alcoholic formalin.
And none of the solutions listed are good for lipids.
So, given the question (with incomplete information) and the choices of
answers, I would still side with (B) cold acetone.
Now - a little aside - for the questions on the ASCP HT and HTL exams - if
it is a new question, the people on the HT/HTL exam committee would be
looking at it intensely before it goes on the exam for the first time. If
the committee people are having problems answering it (like we are here),
the question would be reworked until all the issues are resolved (such as
putting in "for lymph node IHC" into the question). If it makes it past the
committee, and the stats from the exam show that many people are having
problems answering it, the question is pulled from the exam and is not used
in the person's score. The question is then sent back to the HT/HTL exam
committee, to try to figure out why examinees were having problems, and the
question reworked again.
As someone who has written exam questions at the school for 20+ years, I can
tell you that it really is hard to write exam questions. I think I've
covered everything in the question so that it is straight forward, and then
half the students read something into the question that I never thought of,
or come up with a written answer that I never considered. So I either have
to throw out the question or give the point to the student, depending upon
what's going on. And then mark the question for a re-write next year. And
that doesn't include me marking the wrong answer on my master sheet. It
happens!
Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS
-----Original Message-----
From: Watson, Linda
Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2013 9:40 AM
To: Lee & Peggy Wenk ; Stephenson, Sheryl ;
histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] HT HistoDeck question...
For frozen cut sections, would the fixation also depend on what you plan on
doing with it. For example, H&E, Special Stain or IHC? Please correct if I
am wrong. I think that is a trick question!!!
>-----Original Message-----
>From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-
>bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Lee & Peggy Wenk
>Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2013 8:16 AM
>To: Stephenson, Sheryl; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>Subject: Re: [Histonet] HT HistoDeck question...
>
>Personally, I think it's "a" is a wrong answer, and that you are correct
>that "b" is a better answer. My students and I have found a couple of
>other
>questions that we thought had the wrong answer indicated in the study
>set.
>
>Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Stephenson, Sheryl
>Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2013 7:21 AM
>To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>Subject: [Histonet] HT HistoDeck question...
>
>Hi,
>Please clarify why this answer to the HistoDeck study question is a)
>and
>not b).
>
>Here is the question:
>
> 'Frozen section slides cut from fresh, unfixed tissue specimens are
>optimally fixed in which of the following solutions?
>a) 37%-40% formaldehyde
>b) Cold acetone
>c) Acetic acid alcohol
>d) Alcoholic formalin
>
>Thanks,
>
>
>Sheryl Stephenson | Histology Technician
>
>
>
>
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