You might want to check with local regulations concerning burial. Here, and at other facilities that I've been a part of, we receive these requests regularly, usually associated with amputated limbs, however, we make it a policy to release no "soft tissue" to a patient, but instead we ask that they make arrangements with a funeral home (since this is supposed to be for purposes of burial, eventually) and it is only to the funeral home that we will release the part. What happens to the part after that, is between the patient and their funeral home representative, which is much more familiar with regulations and practices for these situations. This is the only way to complete way protect the hospital from liability of having a body part "stored in the attic".
Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) Anatomic Pathology Supervisor Laboratory Holy Redeemer Hospital and Medical Center 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA 19046 (215) 938-3676 phone (215) 938-3689 fax The premise I've been given is so that, upon death, the patient may be stored with her body parts. My facility has concerns about providing it to her in formalin (for obvious reasons) or alcohol. The patient admits this is a family practice with momma's appendix already being stored in the attic. It can get a bit toasty warm here in the South so attic storage of a specimen in alcohol may not be prudent and I can't be absolutely certain it wouldn't burn the house down, another potential liability for my institution. I'm tempted to give it to her in food grade vinegar, to avoid the potential liabilities from using anything that could be considered hazardous. Assuming that returning her gall bladder is a given, what do you think of using vinegar for this purpose? Vinnie Della Speranza Manager for Anatomic Pathology Services --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This E-Mail is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it was sent. It may contain information that is privileged and/or confidential, and the use or disclosure of such information may also be restricted under applicable federal and state law. If you received this communication in error, please do not distribute any part of it or retain any copies, and delete the original E-Mail. Please notify the sender of any error by E-Mail. Thank you for your cooperation. _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
