[Histonet] RE: questions

[Marcum, Pamela A]

We embed and cut and by priority for: 1) bone marrows, 2) biopsies, 3) breast cases  4) surgicals, 5) placentas, 6) autopsies.  RUSH cases for kidney, liver and heart take priority over all!  

Occasionally we will have requests for a specific case to be cut earlier than the usual priority list and will do that as needed.  

The cases are cut in numerical order for bone marrows and biopsies to make it easier to stain, organize and deliver them.  (We don't have to look for them for an hour if they are in order and anything missing is immediately apparent.)  Since we have four to five people cutting in the morning for surgicals we cut in numeric order by case and also alpha order again to help with staining, check out and delivery.  Depending on the person sectioning faster or slower we may have cases out of numeric order at times on the stainer and at check out.  

We adhere strictly to the breast times for 6 to 72 hours in formalin as minimum and maximum limits.  We would be prefer all breast have overnight fixation and that is not possible at times. We use the rule anything not in a cassette by 3PM cannot be processed overnight for breast.  Then we know we have 6 hours based on time from gross to completion of formalin on the processors.  The trick was to make them understand it had to be grossed and in a cassette by cut off not just soaking in formalin.  We have residents.  

Pam Marcum

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Webb, Dorothy L
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2014 11:54 AM
To: 'histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu'
Subject: [Histonet] questions

I have a couple of questions to ask where there is no right or wrong answer, just curious as to the process that other labs use.
1.  After processing, how do you determine the order in which to cut and stain the blocks..numerical or priority driven?  2. Do you adhere to the 6-72 hours of fixation for breasts or make certain all breast tissue is fixed for a minimum time of, say, 24 hours but, of course no longer than 72?

I appreciate your responses and thanks for your time!!  I am retiring at the end of this year and trying to optimize some processes beforehand:).

Dorothy Webb, HT (ASCP)
Regions Histology Technical Specialist
651-254-2962



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