[Histonet] Eosin Staining Issues
Hello All! I am having some bizzare staining issues. The eosin seems to be washing out?? The slides look sun bleached according to the Pathologists. The problem is that it is only happening on occasion. One rack stains fine and the next one has a problem. It even appears to be happening within cases staining in the same rack. My first though is tap water ph. We don't monitor that, haven't needed to, we've never had a problem like this before. Thoughts?? Thanks ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] OCT Code Cuts
What kind of impacts is everyone seeing post cpt cuts? I am concerned for the future of our profession. Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Need AFB controls
Anyone out there have any spare AFB controls? Thanks is advance :) ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Looking for Used cassette Printer
I am looking for a used VCP cassette printer from Leica/Surgipath. My print head finally went out. Thanks. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Derm Slide Artifact
The Paths are noticing a halo efftect around the keratinocytes. This is something new. It appears to be happening during staining. We haven't changed anything and we are making sure that all the reagents are fresh and full. Thoughts? Thanks, Kristen ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Processor power supply Back-up
Does anyone have any suggestions on power supply back-up for Leica ASP 300? We are an independant lab and are not hooked up to back-up if we have an outage. Thought it might be a good idea :) Thanks. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] DIF Transport Media
Is Michel Medium the same as Zeus? Do these need to be refrigerated? Thanks. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Looking for AFB control
Hello All, I am looking for an AFB control. I am willing to trade if I can meet your needs. Thanks. Kristen ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Reagent Grade Alcohol Brands
Hello All, What brands of reagent grade ETOH is everyone using?? Leica is having some manufacturing issues...need some ASAP!! ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Recycled Formalin
Has anyone had any quality issues (or any issues) when using recycled formalin? Thanks. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Special Stain Storage
Hello All, We were recently inspected by CLIA and our inspector noticed that we didn't have reagent storage temperatures written in our Special Stains procedures. We do our stains by hand so we do have some stored in the refrigerator and others stored at room temp. I went through some of the Histo books and I cannot find any specifics on storage of reagents. Any suggestions?? Thanks!! Kristen ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Paraffin Question
How often are people changing/rotating their paraffin? In other words the dirtiest paraffin is how many days old? ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Leica Paraplast
Has anyone who uses paraplast (we use the basic one) noticed a change in the quality of your tissue? I have recently found out that they have changed manufacturing sites in the past couple of months. I am having on and off issues with my skin specimens that have been going on for about 2 months or so. Thought there may be a correlation. Any thoughts? ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Dermpath Lab People
Hello, I am looking for a network of people who would be willing to share info on derm stuff. I am currently the supervisor of a fairly large derm lab. We've been open about 13 yrs and I've worked here about 12 yrs (Sup for about 1). Things are going pretty well but when I run into problems I would like to share my info with people who may have similar experiences. Currently, I am having some difficulty with quality. Tissues seem a little dry and tough, but they act sensitive to handling. Upon microscopic exam they ofter look torn. The tearing seems to be occurring a lot at the dermal/epidermal junction. At first I thought it may be happening at embedding but now I not so sure. Our processing schedule/reagents haven't changed and peoples work habits are the same. The Paths have noticed the problem for about 2 months. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I hope I can be of service to one of you in the future. Kristen ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Contamination on Processor
We are experiencing cloudiness in all of our alcohols on our processor. We test them before we dump them by mixing them with water and they cloud up. To me this says there is some clear-rite/xylene (we use both on our processors) getting in them somehow. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this or if there is a possibility it could be some other contaminant or is the cloudiness normal after so many processing runs. We have newer processors, leica asp300s. Any help would be so much appreciated. thank you. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Embedding Forceps
Anyone use special forceps for embedding? I have some recent concerns that some of the forceps out there may be to pointy/sharp for delicate tissue (ie. skin). Any insight?? ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Looking to sell xtra inventory
Hello Histonetters, I have recently discovered that I have 11 extra boxes of microtome blades we do not use any more. They are brand new (boxes are sealed) Surgipath low profile Triple Facet blades. Any takers? ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Dako vs Ventana
Hello all, I am trying to get a feel for some of the special stainers out there. I came to the conclusion that it will be either Dako or Ventana. Opinions? Any other machines on the market that people love? Thanks. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Leica Special Stainer
Has anyone used the Leica Special Stainer? ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Automated special stainers
Which automated Special Stainer does everyone like best? Does any of them do a Fontana stain? Thanks ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] reprocessing small pieces of tissue
Has anyone re-processed a small pc. of tissue before? if so how, do you do it? In general, how are you re-processing tissue? ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Injuries in the Lab
How are people dealing with injuries like cuts from the microtome blade or cuts at the grossing bench (fixed tissue only)? We do not work in a hospital so we do not have employee health. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] lab spill clean-up
I am looking for quantities of various lab chemicals that are considered safe for lab personnel to clean up. Are there set guidelines for when you should call for help? ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Anyone CLIA Certified?
We are a derm lab who is CLIA certified. We are going through some admin changes and I have been reading through (and learning) clia, osha, chemical hygiene etc manuals and noticing they all seem outdated. I am a lab sup that is responsible for all this and not quite sure how to go about it all. My main question here is how do you write a CLIA manual? I've been on the web site and I don't know where to begin. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Errors in the lab
I was just wondering how others are tracking mistakes. We have a form that the employees fill out when they catch and rersolve mistakes. I feel this gives me the opportunity to recognize problem areas (or people). I was approached by one of my staff who feels that this may take away from a team approach and makes people feel picked on. On one hand I can see that point, but the error forms are only seen by the person catching the error and me. I guess I was wondering what everyone thinks? Thanks. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Uranyl Nitrate
I am looking for an alternate disposal method for my Uranyl Nitrate. I was quoted at about $3000 from our haz. waste disposal company. I would like to find a cheaper method. I cannot ship it outside the US. Would anyone be able to take it and add it to their waste? I have about 500ml of a 1% aq. solution to get rid of. Please let me know if this might be a possibility, I will pay for service. Thank you!! ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] More quality stuff
Hi- As most of you have gathered I am working on a large quality project. I have made a lot of progress. Currently, my focus is error prevention. I have read up on tools such as six sigma and FMEA. My question is how do you guys prevent errors? I have learned that you cannot always count on the diligence of the employee because even the best will screw up sooner or later, so my focus is on process improvement. How are you all approaching your process improvements? Thank you all for your input. You've all been a big help!! -Kristen ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Special stainers
What stainer is everyone liking the best? ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Uranyl Nitrate
Anyone still using Uranyl Nitrate. We have some in our fridge from '97 and it's very expensive to get rid of. Any suggestions? ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Error corrections
How are people typically correcting errors that occur. For example, mislabeled slides and path slips. We do a lot of hand writing in our lab and when we make a mistake people are usually whiting out or scribbling. I'm feeling like we shouldn't be doing thisis there a standard like a line through the error with the person's initials or something? The other thing is that we do all the grossing (Derm) and we do not dictate, we draw a picture of the specimen and write down the measurements. If the picture is wrong people white it out and re-draw it. I hope I'm making sense. Any suggestions? ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] QA Manual Question
Hi All...Again. I guess I have a lot of questions lately. I have asked this before but I would like to ask it again. What are people doing for QA/QC? I have been asked by management to write a QA manual. I have some ideas but not really sure where to start. Thanks in advance for any input. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Microtome Alignment
Does anyone know where I can an alignment device? ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] IHC Stainers
Hello- I am looking for any comments (positive or negative) on IHC stainers. Any info on DAKO, Ventana, Leica, and Biocare would be great. Service, quality, ease of use, etc. I have very little knowledge of any of these as I have not done IHC for many years. Thanks for all your input!! -Kristen ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] hematoxylin Question
Hello All, How long is hematoxylin (we use Richard-Allen Heme 2) good for after it is poured into a staining container? The stain gets used so infrequently I would like to keep it as long as I can. We currently dump it weekly regardless of use. Thank you. -Kristen ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] (no subject)
Does anyone have an opinion on Distilled vs DI water? Is there a difference in quality? ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Quality assurance program
I would like to do something different (more) than what we are doing right now with qa/qc. We write everything down that we do so we can track it and then when there are mistakes I will talk to the person who makes them. What are people doing in their labs to stop these mistakes in the first place? I know there are tools out there like L.E.A.N, but I was hoping to go another route for now. I have added more check lists and made many process changes but sometimes I feel as though people need extra incentive to do well. Sad but true. Thanks for any help!! ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Sectioning on different microtomes
How are people lining up the microtomes so they cut in approximately the plane. I use the old fashioned test paraffin block method but it just seems so time consuming and it doesn't always yield the best results especially if you are having techs line up there own. Our paths have complained about recuts being too deep. HELP!!! Kristen ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] (no subject)
Hello all, I am looking for info on IP stainers. Which stainers are people using? What does everyone like, dislike, etc. Any info is helpful. Thanks!! Kristen ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] QA/QC
I am looking to update our QA/QC system...it's a mess. Any suggestions on where I would gather info. What are other people doing?? ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
