[Histonet] Histo techs assisting on BM Bx's

[Bob Richmond]

I usually had hematology technologists assisting me back when I was doing
bone marrow biopsies long ago. I trained more technologists than I
remember. You always have to remind the patient that you're going to be
talking a lot because you're training a new assistant, but that it isn't
going to make any difference to the patient.

This is one of those situations where too many docs (particularly
pathologists) pitch hissy-fits, and make the procedure difficult for the
assistant.

Bone marrow biopsy with CT guidance - boggles the mind. Pathologists had
pretty well retired from doing bone marrow biopsies by the time CT guidance
became available - hematologists get paid so much more for doing them than
pathologists do that they pretty well took the procedure over.

I'd rather do it myself - I get big specimens properly prepared that way. I
still have a couple of those old 8-gauge Westerman-Jensen needles.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Maryville TN