[Histonet] Nuclear "Artifact"

[Michael Ann Jones]

Happy Lab Week!!
We worked on our H&E for almost two years. We were using Leica H&E
products and after 2 years of struggling, adjusting and analyzing
everything in our lab - we switched to the Richard-Allen Scientific
products. We were seeing variability between days of staining, tissues
right next to each other, nuclear paleness, eosin uniformity instead of
differentiated, etc. Switching reagents helped us tremendously - we have
more consistent higher quality stains on a daily basis and within tissues.

I you¹re struggling and have analyzed your processors, etc. to death -
maybe try different reagents? (we even measured the tap water that we use
on our stainer daily, the pH of reagents every other hour etc. and between
5 experienced histotechs, we couldn¹t figure it out)
Good luck! :)

Michael Ann
Michael Ann Jones, HT (ASCP)
Histology Manager
Metropath
7444 W. Alaska Dr. #250
Lakewood, CO 80226
303.634.2511
Mjones <@t> metropath.com







On 4/21/15, 5:55 PM, "Sue" <suetp918 <@t> comcast.net> wrote:

>OMG we are experiencing the same issue. At first it was just GI and now
>we are seeing it on prostate. One pathologist said it looks like the
>tissue has been cooked. The only issue is we can have two biopsies right
>next to one another in the basket one looks good and one looks bad. My
>director also thinks it is the processors. I had Thermo out and they
>could find nothing. We changed out all the reagents and the biopsies were
>fine than two days later we had some bad ones. I know in July Fisher had
>a formalin recall associated to the mixture of buffer, water and
>formalin. We thought that might be it but it is now almost a year later
>and all the bad formalin should be gone. The histotechs say the tissue is
>crunchy and they are right. I am running a test tonight of a small needle
>biopsy that I made from a colon. I placed it is straight formaldehyde
>overnight and am processing it on our biopsy cycle tonight. My director
>also wanted us to only put three levels on our Thermo, but he wanted the
>middle level to have empty baskets. I stopped that today because I think
>the other issue is that the poor biopsies may be on the top level and as
>the reagents are used the level changes, and also due to displacement
>with the middle level being empty the reagent levels may not reach the
>top. We just do not have the manpower to inspect every reagent every day,
>we have 6 processor and it would take a tech all day. We actually take a
>digital picture when they come out of the processor. I want to check my
>problems cases tomorrow. We do not use sponges but the only other like
>was the PA who was wrapping the blue paper very tight around the tissue.
>I really do not think this is the issue though.. Any other insight would
>be greatly appreciated.
>
>Susan T. Paturzo 
>TJUH 
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