[Histonet] RE: protocols

[Morken, Timothy]

Wow, that's a lot of unstained! We only cut unstained if requested and we don't cut anything like that for standing protocols. The most we have is 3-5 unstained slides for a the breast protocols and 2 on some liver protocols.  The most extensive is Hirschprung's protocol that goes up to 26 slides on a second round, alternating H&E and unstained. 

A few years ago we brought up to our medical director that we had thousands of unstained slides sitting in files so investigated and revamped things. It had been a long-standing practice to always cut 2 extra unstained on ANY immuno order "just in case." But that was largely due to very long TAT on IHC staining. Now we have it down to 6-18 hours TAT so if there is a need for more stains they just order more and we cut them as needed. 

And now we have barcoded slides, including unstained, so they can see in the system exactly how many unstained are left on a particular block. And they can order a stain on the exact unstained slide they want. That alleviates concern that we don't have unstained, or they can't be found. We keep all but FISH and PCR unstained slides in the histo lab. 

Might this excessive unstained ordering be due to concern about cutting away tissue on initial cutting and recuts? Or is it TAT? Get to the root cause of this and you will find some things to work on in the lab that could alleviate it.


Tim Morken
Supervisor, Histology, Electron Microscopy and Neuromuscular Special Studies
UC San Francisco Medical Center
San Francisco, CA


-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Ortiz, Debra
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2014 10:57 AM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] protocols

Good afternoon everyone,

We are currently looking at or protocols for microtomy.  Currently we cut 22 unstained slides for all lung bxs, 10 unstained for all other FNAs, and 6 unstained for liver bxs.
Can anyone share their current microtomy protocols? The pathologists are willing to take a look at some change, just would like to know what other institutions are doing?

Thanks
Debi
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