[Histonet] HT HistoDeck question...

[McKenzie, Emily]

Honestly I think this all depends on what they are actually asking. Are they asking what you fix the tissue in after the frozen is complete and you need to submit the remaining tissue for routine processing? If so, then A is the correct answer.
Are they asking what you fix the tissue to the slide with to stain the frozen section for immediate diagnosis? If so, then the answer can be several possibilities depending on what you are going to be staining/ the process you will be staining with.
I have worked in several different hospitals and each have a different protocol for there frozen section staining. In order to fix the tissue to the slide I have used 95% alcohol and acidic acid alcohol. The only time I have used formaldehyde is when I use the vapors for fat staining.
I think this might be a question to take up with ASCP. They are the ones administering the test.

Emily K. McKenzie BS, HT(ASCP)

Memorial Medical Center│701 North First Street│Springfield, IL 62781
Ph: 217-788-3991│email: McKenzie.Emily <@t> mhsil.com

-----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 9:22 AM
To: Watson, Linda; Stephenson, Sheryl; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: Re: [Histonet] HT HistoDeck question...

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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