[Histonet] Unstained slides - how long are they good for?

[Frazier, John]

I’m a histology workflow consultant that visits many AP laboratories
each year. Almost every laboratory has a different retention policy.
The average of most laboratories is to hold onto unstained slides for
three weeks after final sign out. Typically the unstained slide can be
held for a long period of time if used just for morphological
staining. However if the unstained slides is going to be used for IHC
or molecular testing, the antigenicity of the slide begins degrading
at the point of cutting. Typically, however, for a high-quality IHC
staining, if stored at room temperature, the unstained slide should
not be held much longer than one month. And even at that time frame
you will begin to see the degrading of the stain quality. If the
slides are kept in a closed box, in refrigerator, they have longer
retention. Typically up to 2 to 3 months.
I hope this helps

Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 16, 2018, at 19:48, P Sicurello <patpxs at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hello My Fellow Histologists,
>
> Happy Friday Eve.
>
> The question has come up......  How long are *unstained* slides good for?
> Not for H&E but tests like IHC and molecular testing.  These slides have
> been cut, stored at room temperature, not sealed in anyway, and kept in a
> cardboard box.
>
> Please let me know what your opinions are and what your retention policy is
> concerning *unstained* slides.
>
> Thanks oodles.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Paula Sicurello, HTL (ASCP)CM
>
> Histotechnology Specialist
>
> UC San Diego Health
>
> 200 Arbor Drive
>
> San Diego, CA 92103
>
> (P): 619-543-2872
>
>
>
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