Fw: [Histonet] On the lighter side...
I have been thinking of unsubscribing to Histonet, but then something like this comes along and I start to rethink my stance. I've never been a histotech, but spent 33 glorious years listening to Peggy and others talk about it. Some went over my head, but as time went by, less and less. As you can tell from her posts, she loved any opportunity to teach. And Histonet provided a large opportunity. I'd like to take this opportunity myself to thank everybody for all their good thoughts and wishes. And take a moment of silence in Austin (how would that go) for Peggy. Thanks and with lots of love, Lee Wenk PS: I'll probably unsubscribe (the correct way) sometime in the not too distant future. -Original Message- From: Podawiltz, Thomas Sent: Friday, August 08, 2014 6:00 AM To: Douglas Porter ; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: [Histonet] On the lighter side... 29 years. Tom Podawiltz HT (ASCP) Histology Section Head LRGHealthcare Laconia, NH 03246 -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Douglas Porter Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2014 2:39 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] On the lighter side... How long have you been a registered histotech? 36 years here. You??? Douglas A. Porter, HT (ASCP) Grossing Technician IT Coordinator Cancer Registrar CAP-Lab, PLC 2508 South Cedar Street Lansing, MI 48910-3138 517-372-5520 (phone) 517-372-5540 (fax) mailto:doug.por...@caplab.org doug.por...@caplab.org http://www.caplab.org/ www.caplab.org ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet THIS MESSAGE IS CONFIDENTIAL. This e-mail message and any attachments are proprietary and confidential information intended only for the use of the recipient(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient, you may not print,distribute, or copy this message or any attachments. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender by return e-mail and delete this message and any attachments from your computer. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of LRGHealthcare. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Peggy Wenk's passing
It is my sad duty to tell you that Peggy Wenk passed away peacefully Saturday morning. Her husband and companion of 37 years and her sister (from Bend,OR) were there. As you know Peggy had a large influence in the world of Histology. She also put herself into her church serving over the years as a nursery school director, Lay Eucharistic Minister and on the vestry. She sang enthusiastically in the choir and played in the newly formed bell choir. Because of our love of books, we both volunteered at the local library. We helped collect books, sort them and then helped to sell them; raising funds for the library's use. There will be two memorial services: one here in Michigan for all her local family and coworkers, the second in southern California (a burial at sea). We are asking that no flowers be sent; instead Peggy has specified (she and her sister planned the funeral several months ago) three different charitable organizations in lieu of flowers. St. Mary’s-in-the-Hills Episcopal Church (Peggy's church) Shades of Pink Foundation (financial aid to local breast cancer patients) Peggy A. Wenk Endowed Scholarship for Histotechnology at Oakland University Please respond to this email if you'd like more information on the services or on giving (or to l...@lpwenk.net). Thanks Lee Wenk (Mr. Peggy Wenk;) ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Lendrum's stain for Paneth Cells
This is from the Theory and Practice of HIstotechnology, 2nd edition, 190. Dezna C. Sheehan and Barbara B. Hrapchak. The reference for their procedure is the article you mentioned. FIXATIVE: Mercuric formalin preferred, but 10% NBF can be used SOLUTIONS: Mayer Hemaxylin Phloxine stain - 1 g Phloxine - 200 m of 70% Ethanol - 1 g Calcium chloride Tartrazine solution - 2.5 g Tartrazine - 100 mL cellosolve (ethylene glycol monoethyl ether) PROCEDURE: 1. Deparaffinize and hydrate slides to d. water 2. Stain for 5-10 minutes in Mayer hematoxylin 3. Blue sections in running tap water for 15 minutes 4. Stain with phloxine solution for 30 minutes 5. Rinse briefly in distilled water, and drain on filter paper 6. Differentiate with tartrazine solution until the inclusion bodies stand out bright red and the background is yellow. 7. Dehydrate; clear in xylene; coverslip using a synthetic mounting media RESULTS: Inclusion bodies = red Nuclei = blue Background - yellow NOTES FROM PEGGY: 1. Seems like you should be able to use Gill regressive or Harris regressive, too. At the time we did this stain 30 years ago, our lab was using Mayer hematoxylin. 2. It's very similar to doing a Brown and Hopps, or a Brown and Brenn. Not enough time in the tartrazine differentiator, and the background will be reddish, making is hard to find the inclusion bodies. Too much time in the tartrazine differentiator, and the background is yellow but so are the inclusion bodies. I remember doing this for something decades ago, and remember how easy it was to over and under differentiate. 3. I seem to remember reusing the staining solutions multiple times. 4. Yes, we used cellosolve to make the tartrazine. It wasn't the only staining solution that used it, so we had it around. I'm wondering if you could use something like acetone instead, but do a much faster differentiation. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Wolfe, Christina Sent: Monday, June 16, 2014 4:35 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Lendrum's stain for Paneth Cells Hi, Does anyone have a PMID for Lendrum's original paper LENDRUM, A.C. 1947. The Phloxine-tartrazine method as a general histological stain and for the demonstration of inclusion bodies. Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology.? I have searched PubMed and I am not getting any results. We are having trouble getting this stain to work in our lab. The Paneth cells are not staining and there is no yellow stain at all with the tartrazine. We are trying to stain rat ileum. Anyone with experience using this stain - please help. :) Thanks! Kristie Christina Wolfe, BS, MLT (ASCP), HT, QIHC Drug Safety Evaluation/Bristol-Myers Squibb Pathology Dept. 812-307-2093 This message (including any attachments) may contain confidential, proprietary, privileged and/or private information. The information is intended to be for the use of the individual or entity designated above. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please notify the sender immediately, and delete the message and any attachments. Any disclosure, reproduction, distribution or other use of this message or any attachments by an individual or entity other than the intended recipient is prohibited. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Formalin in operating (surgery) rooms
I think this is mostly a safety issue, and suggest NOT allowing any amount of formalin in OR/surgery rooms. 1. Training: Doesn't matter how much or how little formalin is in the room. If it is being used in a room, then everyone using it MUST receive yearly training on formaldehyde and on spill kits, according to OSHA. So anyone who picks up the tissue and puts it in a container with formalin must be trained yearly - every tech, every nurse, etc. That can be a LOT of people. Who is going to do the training and the documentation? 2. Spill Kits: If there is formalin in the OR rooms, there must be formaldehyde spill kits in the room, or very, very close by the room. And everyone one working in the OR must know where the kits are and how to use them (training). This not practical inside each OR room (no space, sterilization, etc.), so there are usually kits very near by each OR. That would usually mean having one kit for every X number of OR's, with wall signs marking their locations. Are there enough nursing stations, cleaning rooms, spaces in hall, etc. to position spill kits, to have enough kits available close by all the rooms? 3. Spill: If there is a formalin spill in the OR - I don't even want to think about evacuating everyone from the OR, including the patient who is opened up on the table. The better idea is to have one or a couple of locations (separate rooms) where the formalin is stored, and then bring the tissue to those locations, and place the tissue in the formalin at those locations. Then you have to train just those people pouring the formalin on the tissues in those locations, and it would be easier to store spill kits and contain the spills. Some hospitals don't allow formalin on the OR floor. They have refrigerators in rooms near the OR, where the tissue is stored fresh after removed from surgery. Then every hour or two, all the tissue is taken to the lab (either the OR has runners, or the lab has runners). There is a documentation issue - have to write down what tissue is dropped off in the refrigerators and when, by whom, and then what tissue was picked up, when and by whom. Tissue can easily be overlooked, and left in the refrigerator for a long period of time. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP) -Original Message- From: Candace J. Wagner Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2014 1:50 PM To: 'histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu' Subject: [Histonet] Formalin in operating (surgery) rooms Hello all out in Histoland, I had a surgery tech ask me if there was a specific amount of formalin allowed in the surgery rooms. I could not find anywhere any documentation on a specific amount. We supply our surgery dept. with the formalin they need, usually about 2 gallons in each room now, but just wondering if anyone has any idea if there is such a specific amount?? Thanks -CJ- E-MAIL CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this e-mail message and any attachments are intended solely for the addressee(s) and may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient of this message or if this message has been addressed to you in error, please immediately alert the sender by reply e-mail and then delete this message and any attachments. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use, dissemination, distribution, copying, or storage of this message or any attachment is strictly prohibited. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Formalin in operating (surgery) rooms
Forgot to add: 4. Formaldehyde Monitoring: Each OR room would have to have formaldehyde monitoring of all positions involved in the handling of the formalin. This can be time consuming and expensive, to have to do this for each OR (who says the ventilation flow is the same in each OR?). It would be easier to monitor if the formalin was in one (or a few) room(s) outside of the OR, with only a few people involved in pouring the formalin into the containers with the tissue. Or, if only fresh tissue was stored in a refrigerator outside the OR, then no monitoring of formaldehyde would need to be done in the OR area. So in other words, there are not rules as to how much formalin can be in an OR, just like there are not rules as to how much formalin can be stored in a lab. There is the OSHA Formaldehyde Standard that must be followed (29CFR1910.1480). And there there are all kinds of complicated storage regs as to amount of formalin, size of room, ventilation rate through room, etc. It would just be so much easier if NO formalin was allowed in the OR rooms. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP) -Original Message- From: Lee Peggy Wenk Sent: Friday, June 13, 2014 7:44 AM To: Candace J. Wagner ; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: Re: [Histonet] Formalin in operating (surgery) rooms I think this is mostly a safety issue, and suggest NOT allowing any amount of formalin in OR/surgery rooms. 1. Training: Doesn't matter how much or how little formalin is in the room. If it is being used in a room, then everyone using it MUST receive yearly training on formaldehyde and on spill kits, according to OSHA. So anyone who picks up the tissue and puts it in a container with formalin must be trained yearly - every tech, every nurse, etc. That can be a LOT of people. Who is going to do the training and the documentation? 2. Spill Kits: If there is formalin in the OR rooms, there must be formaldehyde spill kits in the room, or very, very close by the room. And everyone one working in the OR must know where the kits are and how to use them (training). This not practical inside each OR room (no space, sterilization, etc.), so there are usually kits very near by each OR. That would usually mean having one kit for every X number of OR's, with wall signs marking their locations. Are there enough nursing stations, cleaning rooms, spaces in hall, etc. to position spill kits, to have enough kits available close by all the rooms? 3. Spill: If there is a formalin spill in the OR - I don't even want to think about evacuating everyone from the OR, including the patient who is opened up on the table. The better idea is to have one or a couple of locations (separate rooms) where the formalin is stored, and then bring the tissue to those locations, and place the tissue in the formalin at those locations. Then you have to train just those people pouring the formalin on the tissues in those locations, and it would be easier to store spill kits and contain the spills. Some hospitals don't allow formalin on the OR floor. They have refrigerators in rooms near the OR, where the tissue is stored fresh after removed from surgery. Then every hour or two, all the tissue is taken to the lab (either the OR has runners, or the lab has runners). There is a documentation issue - have to write down what tissue is dropped off in the refrigerators and when, by whom, and then what tissue was picked up, when and by whom. Tissue can easily be overlooked, and left in the refrigerator for a long period of time. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP) -Original Message- From: Candace J. Wagner Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2014 1:50 PM To: 'histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu' Subject: [Histonet] Formalin in operating (surgery) rooms Hello all out in Histoland, I had a surgery tech ask me if there was a specific amount of formalin allowed in the surgery rooms. I could not find anywhere any documentation on a specific amount. We supply our surgery dept. with the formalin they need, usually about 2 gallons in each room now, but just wondering if anyone has any idea if there is such a specific amount?? Thanks -CJ- E-MAIL CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this e-mail message and any attachments are intended solely for the addressee(s) and may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient of this message or if this message has been addressed to you in error, please immediately alert the sender by reply e-mail and then delete this message and any attachments. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use, dissemination, distribution, copying, or storage of this message or any attachment is strictly prohibited. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman
Re: [Histonet] rolling sections
Try changing the angle of the knife blade, so that the clearance angle (angle between the knife blade and the block face) is larger. In other words, tip the top of the blade towards the block more. If there are numbers on the side of the knife holder, you want to move it to a larger number (like from 5 to 10). Before sectioning, remember to move the block holder towards you, since the blade will now be closer to the block, and you don't want to ker-chunk the block. And remember, when done, to return the clearance angle back to it's usual location, so you aren't curling all your ribbons. So look at the number it is usually set at, or, if there is no number, make some marks on the side of the knife holder, that you can line up again. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Roberta Horner Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2014 10:42 AM To: Histonet (histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu) Subject: [Histonet] rolling sections I have some researchers that want to do PCR. They want 10 - 10u sections in a micro-centrifuge tube. The only way to get the sections in the tube is for the sections to roll. How do you get sections to roll when you want them to roll? I've tried room temperature, on ice, brand new sharp blade, dull blade and I can still get some really nice ribbons. When I want a thick ribbon it will roll, darn that Murphy and his laws. Roberta Horner Animal Diagnostic Lab Penn State University ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Should I leave histology world
You didn't mention what your current cutting speed is, nor what speed they want you to be at. Ask your supervisor to set up goals for you to meet, with time frames. Each week, work on getting faster, not fast today, just faster each week. At the School where I taught, we had goals set up during the time the students were learning, and also time when they were doing their histology lab rotation. When they were learning in the School, they would microtome 1-3 times a week for the first 2 months, and nearly daily the last 2 months, about 2 hours a day (for total of 120+ hours microtoming before their histology rotation). The first couple of months, emphasis was on quality, and then it shifted to quantity (speed) and quality. Every 4-6 weeks, they were reassessed as to whether they were meeting quality and quantity (speed) goals. When they did their 1 month rotation through histology lab, they were full time in the lab, and microtomed about 2-3 hours a day (total about an additional 100 hours microtoming). They were expected to keep the quality up, and still improve their quantity (speed). When they graduated, no, they were not as fast as experienced techs, but they were close. At any time (school or rotations), if they didn't measure up to the goals, they knew they had to repeat the evaluation and/or rotation. If they still could not meet the goals, they would be let go from the program. So they had to pass the academic part (tests for what they know) as well as psychomotor (DOING the sectioning, staining, embedding, etc.), and the affective (showing up on time, getting along with people, willing to volunteer, etc.). This is the same as any histotech job. There are goals (quality and quantity (speed)) that everyone must be able to meet. You have been microtoming at your second job for 2 months, 8 hours a day, and 2-3 hours a day since April (up to 2 months) at your current job. That's about 400 hours of microtoming while at jobs. At this point, you should have quality down pat, and should be able to concentrate on speed. So have your supervisor set specific speed goals and dates, and then you use those time intervals to keep improving your speed. Have your supervisor watch you, and see where you are being slowed down by unnecessary movements. And if you are the only histotech responding to the data entry person, then explain it to your supervisor, and get that responsibility on a rotating basis amongst all of you. Peggy Wenk HTL (ASCP) SLS -Original Message- From: Alpha Histotech Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2014 4:34 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Should I leave histology world Hi everyone, I wouldn't give too much detail information as the histology world is very small and everyone knows everyone. I am in a dilemma. I have been a histotech (ASCP HT) for almost 6-7 yrs. I went to a NAACLS school and have a Associate in Science in Histology. In the 6-7 yrs I have changed jobs 3 times. All the jobs were graveyard shifts. The first place I worked for was Quest Diagnostics and I did a good 3 yrs. The other 2 places I won't mention and I currently still have a histology job. My problem is all the places I worked were factory style lab work and they all did derm work. In my career I really only embedded most of the time. I did occasional other stuff like special stains both by hand and using Dako Artisan and other things like cytology cytospin. But I never got to develop in cutting. My first job in quest..I maybe cutted one time for 2 or 3 weeks before they yanked me and put me back to embed. My 2nd job put me to cut the last 2 months (full 8hrs) I was working there. My current job I have been cutting since April 2014 ( but only 2-3hrs in the day and then I embed, I have been here now 1 yr, I was embedding most of the time before th cutting started). I was told by my director I need to speed up in cutting because corporate is asking why I am not increasing in speed. And if I don't speed up eventually then they will have to demote me to a lab aid and give me a pay cut. (where I work and the state I work in they have lab aids doing alot of stuff without being certified, it wasn't like that in the other state I am original from as you have to be state licensed and ascp) I sometimes laugh inside my head because before my director hired me I told him I don't have alot experience in cutting. Now everywhere I have gone...speed is the name of the game. They say they care about quality but in the end if you can't put up then you will be put out! So I am just thinking I should just get out of histology world all together. Every where I have worked unfortunately have management who believe quantity over quality. OR Do you guys think I need more time cutting to develop speed? Beforehand I did need a little learning curve to cut and I have gotten through that now. It's just the speed that is killing me. And I
Re: [Histonet] Basement Lab
You need to meet with the architect, and engineer, and the fire marshal. And they need to be knowledgeable about the chemicals, etc. that will be stored/used in the lab area, and any rules/regulations in your country/area that relate to building labs. The laws have changed in many locations, so that they want the fire department to have easy access to the lab, in case of a fire. Think of all the flammables we have - how many gallons of alcohol, xylene, acetone, etc. Most of us are already in the basement, so we are grandfathered in. But anyone building a new lab, or an addition to a lab, will be under the new rules. Most of the time, they want the lab built on the 1st or 2nd floor, so the fire hoses don't have to be dragged up or down stairs or ladders. And they want the lab on a outside wall, again, so the fire fighters don't have to be hauling hoses into the middle of a building. And the outside wall can't be near where people will be walking by, in case there is a chemical blow out of the wall. That being said, that doesn't mean that labs can't be built in the basement or, say, on the 5th floor. There are just a lot of additional conditions - walls, floors and ceiling that are thicker and can resist being burned through for longer periods of time, denser doors for fire resistance, automatic sprinkler systems that are closer together,etc. So again, you need to meet with people who are knowledgeable about the type and amount of flammable chemicals that are going to be used in that area, and the laws that govern safety for building labs. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: John Smallwood Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2014 12:10 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Basement Lab Our small Hospital with growth plans, is considering a new Laboratory in the basement of the planned tower. I consider this a less than desirable location. Spills , fumes, chemical allotments etc. What are Histonet members thoughts and ideas ?? Than you, John Smallwood, MLT. London, Ont. Can. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] suppliers of reusable steel knives
We always bought ours from Dorn and Hart, out of Chicago, Illinois. http://www.dornandhart.com/ Peggy Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: idimi...@mun.ca Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2014 8:24 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] suppliers of reusable steel knives Hello, I am looking for suppliers of reusable stainless steel knives, the big ones, not the disposable kind. If anyone is still using them and has information where I can buy them and sharpen the knives, it would be of great help for us. Thanks, Iliana Dimitrova, RT, B.Tech., M.Sc. Histology Supervisor Medical Education and Laboratory Support Services (MELSS) Faculty of Medicine Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's, NL Canada A1B 3V6 ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] HISTOPALOOZA Georgia Society for Histotechnology April 25 - April 27
One of my favorite Cary Grant odd ball comedies - Arsenic and Old Lace. He's the only person I know of who can pull a triple look. If you have never seen this comedy - rent it or down load it or whatever. But be glad Raymond Massey isn't your brother (looking like Boris Karloff), and Peter Lorre isn't his doctor. And your Uncle Teddy doesn't think he's Teddy Roosevelt, trumpeting CHARGE up an stairs (San Juan Hill) and burying victims of yellow fever in the basement, but who were actually lonely old men killed by the 2 old aunts with arsenic laced elderberry wine as part of their charity. It is a hoot! Hope your state meeting family reunion is just as crazy! And I'm a little tea pot! Peggy Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Zimmerman, Billie Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2014 4:51 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] HISTOPALOOZA Georgia Society for Histotechnology April 25 - April 27 It's been awhile since I've been on the histonet, but I wanted to give you an update about the Histopalooza. We have sold out our block of rooms, but the GSH has acquired a few adjoining cottages at Southern Pine. Please contact 1-800-CALLAWAY and give the symposium code GSH/HISTOPALOOZA! Each one bedroom is the symposium rate of $135. Please don't procrastinate any longer! We look forward to networking, education, and fun. It's like a family reunion. Here's a quote from an unknown author, Families are like fudge-mostly sweet with a few nuts.The Cary Grant quote, Insanity runs in my family, it practically gallops. I can think of many family reunion jokes. Look me up at Callaway and I'll share. All I know is my mother is the cruise director of the guilt trip. Glad Mom doesn't read the histonet. hehe Hope to see all of you at the end of the month. Billie Zimmerman GSH secretary ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] PT Histotech needed in NJ
Posting this for a friend, so please reply to him, and not to me. Part-time ASCP certified histotech needed in private derm/GI lab in New Jersey. Day shift Cut 40-50 blocks/day Typical special stains include Steiner, Alcian Blue-PAS, and GMS Contact John Howard at 973-650-4038. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP) ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] NSH Scholarships/Awards - June 1 deadline
Just wanted to remind people that NSH has $30,000 in scholarships and awards available to help people attend NSH educational symposiums, participate in NSH teleconferences, go to college, get histology/IHC/Mol path training at another institution, help NAACLS students, etc. Deadline for most is June 1, 2014 (NAACLS HT/HTL students deadline is March 15, 2014). For more information on how to apply (or to nominate someone), go to: http://www.nsh.org/scholarships-awards Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] RE: Texas Society for Histotechnology
August 23 - 27, NSH Symposium in Austin, TX. NSH is still working on the program, but here's their website - so check back here often: http://www.histoconvention.org/index.cfm Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Vanessa Perez Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2014 10:15 AM To: Bustamante, Lin ; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] RE: Texas Society for Histotechnology No TSH this year because NSH is being held in Austin. Vanessa Perez Garcia Pathology Reference Lab 210-892-3746 210-892-3732 vpe...@pathreflab.com -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Bustamante, Lin Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2014 8:31 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Texas Society for Histotechnology Is there going to be a TSH meeting this year? PLEASE !!! I need to find out. Thank you. Lin. Lin S. Bustamante, B.S., H.T.(ASCP) VIBS Histology Laboratory Supervisor College Of Veterinary Medicine Texas AM University College Station, Texas 77843-4458 Phone: (979) 845-3177 Fax: (979) 458-3499 ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] aqueous mounting medium
to be used for what? - Lipids - ORO, Sudan black B? - Immunofluorescence - which dye? Different needs, different requirements. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Jennifer MacDonald Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 12:27 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] aqueous mounting medium Does anyone have a good recipe for aqueous mounting medium? Thanks, Jennifer ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Leica 2135 parts
The following companies sell refurbished used histology equipment. They might have parts that they sell - I don’t know as I never asked them if they sell parts, but it's a place to start. (I've worked with both companies, buying used equipment for the School.) IMEB http://www.imebinc.com/ Rankin Biomedical http://www.rankinbiomed.com/ Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Molinari, Betsy Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2014 10:08 AM To: Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Leica 2135 parts Hi, I am looking for a flex shaft cable for our Leica microtome 2135. I have been told by Leica they no longer service or carry parts for this machine any longer. Ours is in excellent condition and a new one is not in our budget. Is there a Leica “junkyard”? Thanks. Betsy Betsy Molinari HT(ASCP) Texas Heart Institute Cardiovascular Pathology 6770 Bertner Ave Houston, TX 77030 832-355-6524 (lab) 832-355-6812 (fax) http://www.texasheart.org Betsy Molinari Senior Histology Research Technician 832-355-6524 | bmolin...@texasheart.orgmailto:bmolin...@texasheart.org | www.texasheart.orghttp://www.texasheart.org 6770 Bertner Ave., MC 1-283, Houston, TX 77030 [Texas Heart Institute]https://secure3.convio.net/thi/site/SPageNavigator/GlobalSiteOptInPage.html[THI News] [THI on Facebook] http://www.facebook.com/Texas.Heart.Institute [THI on Flicker] http://www.flickr.com/photos/texasheart/sets/ [THI on Google] https://plus.google.com/u/0/118043615690351997044/posts [THI on Pinterest] http://pinterest.com/texasheartinst/ [THI on Twitter] http://twitter.com/Texas_Heart [THI on You Tube] http://www.youtube.com/TexasHeartInstitute Confidentiality Notice: This message may be confidential and/or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient you may not review, disseminate or copy this e-mail, its contents and/or any attachments. Please immediately notify the sender If you have received this e-mail in error and delete it from your computer system. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Soaking artifact
The only soaking artifacts that I can think of would be caused by: - soaking too long in water (minutes instead of a few seconds) - soaking under-processed tissue in water In both cases, the tissue is supposed to be protected by the wax, and if it is not (under-processed), or if the faced block is in water too long, the tissue can start re-absorbing water. The tissue then turns white and swells out of the block. So all that swelled out tissue is cut away and lost when the tissue is put back on the microtomy for sectioning the ribbon. If you soak for just a few seconds, such as a gauze with water being held against the block on the microtome, after it has been faced, then you will get a little bit of water absorbed into just a few layers of cells. Just enough to cut 2-4 sections. And you won't see that swelling artifact. For those of you saying - but I have to face all the blocks, put them back on ice and/or water while I cut a bunch more blocks, and then go back and cut each block - that is an artifact also. You have over-dehydrated your tissue during processing, and you are putting back the water that you should not have taken out. Processing is supposed to remove the unbound water (not attached to proteins), and some of the bound water (attached to proteins), and leave some of the bound water (attached to proteins) in the tissue. If you HAVE to soak EVERY block for more than a couple of seconds, then you are wasting time rehydrating and wasting time while microtoming. Cut down the time in the alcohols on the tissue processor, to leave a little bound water in the tissues. And you can NOT processing little biopsies on the same long processing cycle as the larger pieces of tissue (uterus, breast, etc.). Those little biopsies will be over-dehydrated. They HAVE to be run on a separate cycle of much shorter time intervals (10-20 minutes in each solution (once fixed), instead of 45-60 minutes in each solution). You should be able (on nearly every tissue block) to rough trim the tissue, and immediately start cutting ribbons. Possibly, you will need to put an ice cube on some of the harder tissue (cervix, uterus, bone, lens, etc.) just to get the paraffin hardness to match the hardness of the tissue. That being said, some tissues are naturally brittle or crumbly, and always need some water put back in the tissue, such as spleen or bloody tissue, but again, some wet gauze on the faced block for a few seconds should be enough time to get 2-4 sections. And that's all the tissue we usually need from those blocks. If you need more for IHC, put the wet gauze back on the faced block, and cut a few more sections. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Deanna Leslie Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2014 4:42 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Soaking artifact Has anybody in histoland ever heard of this? I have been cutting tissue for 25 yrs and until recently I had never heard of this! I am under contract to a facility and the supervisor there does not want anybody to soak their tissue or use ice! Your are supposed to use the cold plate, because as I have stated soaking them causing an artifact. I have not disputed this because it is not my place or in my job discription as a traveler. I am not even sure what it is supposed to look like or what type of problems it causes. Thanks for listening! Deanna Leslie HT ASCP ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Soaking artifact
One slight amendment - this applies to human tissue. Animal tissue has far less bound and unbound water to start with, so no matter how it's processed, it always ends up dry. Therefore, longer soaking in water is needed. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Lee Peggy Wenk Sent: Monday, January 06, 2014 8:07 AM To: Deanna Leslie ; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: Re: [Histonet] Soaking artifact The only soaking artifacts that I can think of would be caused by: - soaking too long in water (minutes instead of a few seconds) - soaking under-processed tissue in water In both cases, the tissue is supposed to be protected by the wax, and if it is not (under-processed), or if the faced block is in water too long, the tissue can start re-absorbing water. The tissue then turns white and swells out of the block. So all that swelled out tissue is cut away and lost when the tissue is put back on the microtomy for sectioning the ribbon. If you soak for just a few seconds, such as a gauze with water being held against the block on the microtome, after it has been faced, then you will get a little bit of water absorbed into just a few layers of cells. Just enough to cut 2-4 sections. And you won't see that swelling artifact. For those of you saying - but I have to face all the blocks, put them back on ice and/or water while I cut a bunch more blocks, and then go back and cut each block - that is an artifact also. You have over-dehydrated your tissue during processing, and you are putting back the water that you should not have taken out. Processing is supposed to remove the unbound water (not attached to proteins), and some of the bound water (attached to proteins), and leave some of the bound water (attached to proteins) in the tissue. If you HAVE to soak EVERY block for more than a couple of seconds, then you are wasting time rehydrating and wasting time while microtoming. Cut down the time in the alcohols on the tissue processor, to leave a little bound water in the tissues. And you can NOT processing little biopsies on the same long processing cycle as the larger pieces of tissue (uterus, breast, etc.). Those little biopsies will be over-dehydrated. They HAVE to be run on a separate cycle of much shorter time intervals (10-20 minutes in each solution (once fixed), instead of 45-60 minutes in each solution). You should be able (on nearly every tissue block) to rough trim the tissue, and immediately start cutting ribbons. Possibly, you will need to put an ice cube on some of the harder tissue (cervix, uterus, bone, lens, etc.) just to get the paraffin hardness to match the hardness of the tissue. That being said, some tissues are naturally brittle or crumbly, and always need some water put back in the tissue, such as spleen or bloody tissue, but again, some wet gauze on the faced block for a few seconds should be enough time to get 2-4 sections. And that's all the tissue we usually need from those blocks. If you need more for IHC, put the wet gauze back on the faced block, and cut a few more sections. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Deanna Leslie Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2014 4:42 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Soaking artifact Has anybody in histoland ever heard of this? I have been cutting tissue for 25 yrs and until recently I had never heard of this! I am under contract to a facility and the supervisor there does not want anybody to soak their tissue or use ice! Your are supposed to use the cold plate, because as I have stated soaking them causing an artifact. I have not disputed this because it is not my place or in my job discription as a traveler. I am not even sure what it is supposed to look like or what type of problems it causes. Thanks for listening! Deanna Leslie HT ASCP ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Soaking artifact
In most labs, the processor runs all night long. Someone comes in very early in the morning, empties the processor, starts the purge cycle, and then starts embedding a lot of blocks. The tissue processor then sits, doing nothing, from after the purge in the early morning, until sometime in the late afternoon, when all the tissues are loaded in for the overnight run. That means the tissue processor is doing nothing for up to 12 hours during the daytime. How about, besides the overnight run, we can set up 1 or 2 other shorter runs during the day, with the small biopsies. How about - process all the large tissues overnight, but keep the little biopsies that you grossed all afternoon in formalin until the morning. Empty out the large tissues, purge the process, embed the large tissues and start microtoming them. After the purge is done, put the small biopsies from the afternoon on the tissue processor, and process them for 1.5-2 hours (and if your processor is able to process half a load, do that to save on reagents). Then embed them and start microtoming them. Purge the processor again. In the mean time, all morning, collect the small biopsies again. After lunch, short process all the small biopsies from the morning. Embed them in the afternoon, purge the processor again, and load up the overnight load. If you don't have time to microtome the morning small biopsies (that you embedded in the afternoon), someone can microtome them in the morning the next day. Either with the large overnight load, or have someone else come in early, and while the other people are embedding the large tissue overnight load, they can be microtoming the small biopsies that were embedded in previous afternoon. Yes, all of this will mean changes: - staggered hours that people will be coming in - processing, embedding and microtoming continuously throughout the day - someone might have to microtome more than someone else, or might have to embed more than someone else. But if you rotate jobs around, over the months, everyone ends up doing the same amount of work overall. This is a type of continuous work flow, and does lead to faster turn around time and efficiency. When our lab changed to this system (we are an 1100 bed hospital, with lots of tissues from our ORs, from outside hospitals and clinics and doctors offices, so lots and lots of blocks), it took getting everyone involved - people accessioning, grossing, the histotechs, and the pathologists (they were not going to get their slides in numerical order). We have short cycles, the overnight long cycles, some rush cycles, and long cycles for breast and autopsy brain. We actually have more than 3 runs, but then we are working almost 24/7. During the time we were switching to continuous work flow, we had a few histotechs off on maternity and/or medical leaves. And we got a couple more clients, so the work load increased. But because of the continuous work flow, we were able to handle the additional work without having to hire anyone. Whereas before, we would process ALL the blocks overnight, and then would have lots of people embedding lots of blocks first thing in the very early morning, and then having to put in the in order, and no one could start microtoming until all the blocks were embedding and in order (so some days the microtoming techs were sitting around with nothing to do for a time). Then, everyone had piles of blocks to cut, for blocks 100-150 were going to be cut hours and hours after everyone started microtoming blocks 1-50. Then, there were racks and racks of slide piling up to be stained with HE (and at that point, we were still labeling after staining). So there were all these spots where tissue was being held up, unnecessarily: - waiting to be processed - waiting to be embedding - waiting to be microtomed - waiting to be stained - waiting to be labeled - then the pathologists had stacks of slides, waiting to be diagnosed - waiting for the reports to be typed With continuous flow, there is always some work coming through, but not large piles causing long waits. It just takes rethinking how you can use the processor more efficiently, which will make the rest of the work more efficient. And increase productivity and make turn around time faster. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP) -Original Message- From: Podawiltz, Thomas Sent: Monday, January 06, 2014 12:04 PM To: Lee Peggy Wenk ; Deanna Leslie ; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: [Histonet] Soaking artifact I agree Peggy. Just one question. What is a small histology lab to do when they only have one processor and cannot run separate cycles and do not have staffing to run short cycles throughout the day? Tom Podawiltz HT (ASCP) Histology Section Head/Laboratory Safety Officer. LRGHealthcare Laconia, NH 03246 603-524-3211 ext: 3220 -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet
Re: [Histonet] Frozen section protocol on rat tendon and/or muscle aswell
Is the -80 degrees really a correct temp? We freeze our muscles around -150 to -160 Degrees C. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Ignacio Ruz Caracuel Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2014 7:27 AM To: Peter Petro ; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: Re: [Histonet] Frozen section protocol on rat tendon and/or muscle aswell Dear Peter: Our muscle freeze protocol is very easy. We employed a small piece of cork of about 1x1cm, we pour a drop of OCT embedding medium and we placed the muscle on it. It´s important not to pour a big drop of OCT, cause it creates holes in the muscle as it infiltrates. Then we cooled isopentane in liquid nitrogen (-80 degrees) for about 10 minutes, we disolved it in case it aggregates and then we freeze the muscle for about 20 second. If you don´t pour too much OCT and you achieve a fast freezing with the isopentane at the correct temperature you won´t have those disturbing holes. Best regards, Ignacio Ruz-Caracuel Histology Intern Student Faculty of Medicine, Córdoba, SPAIN http://www.uco.es/regmus/ 2014/1/2 Peter Petro walkure2...@gmail.com Dear all, Happy New Year. We are planning to work on rat tendon and frozen section of tendon will be performed. I'd like to ask for a better protocol to preserve, process and section tendon as we found there is a lot of ice crystal (holes) on sections of muscle that seriously affect our subsequent staining. Any better protocol to freeze muscle is also welcomed. We don't have much experience in handling frozen tissues. Best Regards, Peter ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Histology program/school?
For Schools in the British Isles: http://www.nhshistopathology.net/ Click on Schools. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Leila Etemadi Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2014 12:16 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: Re: [Histonet] Histology program/school? Is any one knows any school/Lab in Europe? On 02 Jan 2014, at 18:01, Weems, Joyce K. joyce.we...@emoryhealthcare.org wrote: Darton College in Albany has an online associates program. I would start there. Joyce Weems Pathology Manager 678-843-7376 Phone 678-843-7831 Fax joyce.we...@emoryhealthcare.org www.saintjosephsatlanta.org 5665 Peachtree Dunwoody Road Atlanta, GA 30342 This e-mail, including any attachments is the property of Saint Joseph's Hospital and is intended for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). It may contain information that is privileged and confidential. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete this message, and reply to the sender regarding the error in a separate email. -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Michelle Lamphere Sent: Tuesday, December 31, 2013 8:50 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Histology program/school? Are there any histology programs or school in the Atlanta, GA area? If not, what would be a good place to start (in Atlanta) for somebody who wants to become a histotech? Michelle Lamphere, HT(ASCP) Lead Tech, Histology Department of Anatomic Pathology 1935 Medical District Dr. Dallas, TX 75235 214.456.2318 Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail This e-mail, facsimile, or letter and any files or attachments transmitted with it contains information that is confidential and privileged. This information is intended only for the use of the individual(s) and entity(ies) to whom it is addressed. If you are the intended recipient, further disclosures are prohibited without proper authorization. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, printing, or use of this information is strictly prohibited and possibly a violation of federal or state law and regulations. If you have received this information in error, please notify Children's Medical Center Dallas immediately at 214-456- or via e-mail at priv...@childrens.com. Children's Medical Center Dallas and its affiliates hereby claim all applicable privileges related to this information. Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail This e-mail, facsimile, or letter and any files or attachments transmitted with it contains information that is confidential and privileged. This information is intended only for the use of the individual(s) and entity(ies) to whom it is addressed. If you are the intended recipient, further disclosures are prohibited without proper authorization. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, printing, or use of this information is strictly prohibited and possibly a violation of federal or state law and regulations. If you have received this information in error, please notify Children's Medical Center Dallas immediately at 214-456- or via e-mail at priv...@childrens.com. Children's Medical Center Dallas and its affiliates hereby claim all applicable privileges related to this information. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet This e-mail message (including any attachments) is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this message (including any attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender by reply e-mail message and destroy all copies of the original message (including attachments). ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Histology program/school?
If anyone wants to find out where the HT or HTL NAACLS-accredited programs are in the US, go to www.naacls.org on the left, click on Find a Program Then you can click on Program Type and click on either HT or HTL. If you want just one state, like Georgia, you can click on that. Or don't click on a state, and you get all the programs under HT or HTL. HT in Georgia: Darton State College 2400 Gillionville Rd Albany, GA 31707 Ms. Nancy Beamon M.S., MT(ASCP) (229) 317-6846 nancy.bea...@darton.edu No HTL in Georgia. I believe Darton College has a distance learning program. But I believe you need to be working in a histology lab (lab assistant or beginning tech) that is willing to let you have time to use the microtome and do stains, as you have to mail in completed slide sets to demonstrate proficiency in sectioning and staining, and someone has to supervise your work (to prove you are doing it, not someone else). So contact Nancy Beamon to get more information. And then start calling all the labs in Atlanta, to see if anyone is willing to hire you, or take you on as a student/trainee. It's probably a long shot, but you can try. If you are interested in histotechnology, it might help to join the Georgia Society for Histotechnology, and start networking with some of the officers. Here's the society's webpage: http://www.histosearch.com/gsh/default.html Good luck! Peggy Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Michelle Lamphere Sent: Tuesday, December 31, 2013 8:49 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Histology program/school? Are there any histology programs or school in the Atlanta, GA area? If not, what would be a good place to start (in Atlanta) for somebody who wants to become a histotech? Michelle Lamphere, HT(ASCP) Lead Tech, Histology Department of Anatomic Pathology 1935 Medical District Dr. Dallas, TX 75235 214.456.2318 Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail This e-mail, facsimile, or letter and any files or attachments transmitted with it contains information that is confidential and privileged. This information is intended only for the use of the individual(s) and entity(ies) to whom it is addressed. If you are the intended recipient, further disclosures are prohibited without proper authorization. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, printing, or use of this information is strictly prohibited and possibly a violation of federal or state law and regulations. If you have received this information in error, please notify Children's Medical Center Dallas immediately at 214-456- or via e-mail at priv...@childrens.com. Children's Medical Center Dallas and its affiliates hereby claim all applicable privileges related to this information. Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail This e-mail, facsimile, or letter and any files or attachments transmitted with it contains information that is confidential and privileged. This information is intended only for the use of the individual(s) and entity(ies) to whom it is addressed. If you are the intended recipient, further disclosures are prohibited without proper authorization. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, printing, or use of this information is strictly prohibited and possibly a violation of federal or state law and regulations. If you have received this information in error, please notify Children's Medical Center Dallas immediately at 214-456- or via e-mail at priv...@childrens.com. Children's Medical Center Dallas and its affiliates hereby claim all applicable privileges related to this information. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] QIHC
All ASCP tests (HT/HTL, HT/MLT, CT, PB, QIHC, QLS, etc.) are all built the same. All are multiple choice questions, with 4 choices, one of which is the most correct. (I won't say only 1 is correct, but if 1 is always correct or almost always correct except in weird circumstances, and another one MIGHT be correct under a very strange, weird, rarely to happen circumstance, then you are to pick the one that is always (or almost always) correct. Each question has been rated on degree of difficulty from 100-999 points, with 400 points being passing. But the points don't really mean anything, ASCP could have rated the questions A through Z, with J+ or I minus minus being passing. So a 321 point question is slightly harder than a 319, but much easier than a 403. And 721 is really hard. The person starts out with questions on the easy to just barely passing side. If they get that one correct, they get a slightly harder question. If they get that correct, they get one even more slightly hard. When they get one wrong, they get a slightly easier question. Whatever the last question degree of difficulty is, that determines if pass or not - 400 and above = pass; 399 or below = fail. The topics of the questions are randomly given out, but always the test will end up within the percent of topics as indicated under the study guide (e.g., QIHC has 10% of the questions on general immuno, but 30% on immuno staining). There are three taxonomy levels of questions, also: - Tax I = memorize - Tax II = troubleshoot (what went wrong); lab math; interpreting charts or photos - Tax III = problem-solve (how to fix problem); could include some charts or photos So all the ASCP tests are more than just memorizing the reagents, or the colors, or the steps. It's being able to figure out if something (stain, results, fixation, whatever) is good or not, and if it isn't - why, and if it isn't - what can you do to fix it now, or what are you going to do different next time so it doesn't happened again. Good luck to anything taking any ASCP certification or qualification exam in 2014! Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Lindsey Markovic Sent: Saturday, December 28, 2013 7:45 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] QIHC This message is for any histotechs who have taken the QIHC. I have read all of the posts about what to study and what is on it, but my question is how is the test structured? Is it similar to the HT/HTL certification exam where each question builds on the one before it and they try to trick you with multiple answers that could be right and you have to choose the best answer? Or are the questions pretty straightforward? Thank you for any help you can give me! ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] LABORATORY SAFETY TEST
I took the exam when it was first offered, when it was a Specialist exam with 100 questions. It's now a Qualification exam with 50 questions. But I don't think it has changed that much, just fewer questions. If you haven't been to the ASCP website on the Safety Exam, do that first. http://ascp.org/Board-of-Certification/Qualification#tabs-0 Make certain you meet eligibility requirements, and can document it. Under the Studying tab, there is information on reading list and the topic outline. - In addition to the books listed to read, I would get the Dapson and Dapson book on Hazardous Material in the Histopathology Laboratory. I bought mine from Anatech Ltd (www.anatechltdusa.com), but I think it's available through Amazon, also. - I did go to many of the websites they now list (back then, they didn't list websites, so I looked them up). And then looked up the topics under CDC, OSHA, NFPA, etc. - I also looked up information under companies, such as chemical hoods and biological hoods - many of the companies that sell them have a lot of good information as to how they are made, types of filters, air flow patterns, and remember to look up both chemical and biological (and sub-categories). - NSH has an on-line self-assessment booklet on Safety - a little over 100 multiple choice questions that you can either study from or test yourself on. Good explanations after it gives you the correct answer. Self-Assessment #14. (Disclaimer - I was editor on the booklet. I wrote it after I had taken the SLS exam. I pulled the questions not from the exam, but from all my study notes I had pulled together. I don't get any money from the self-assessment - NSH gets it.) It's $35, you can retake the exam as many times as you want over a 2 year period. I think you can earn continuing education credits from NSH for taking the exam, but I don't remember how many CE's it is worth. http://www.softconference.com/nsh/NSHCourseList.asp I also read our hospital's policies written by our safety department, epidemiology, and clinical pathology. Realize that ASCP is writing safety questions for ALL labs, so it's important to know clinical pathology (CP) safety - microbiology including some of the common genus/species of common dangerous infections (yersinia pestis = plague), packaging/shipping of tubes of blood, blood safety in general. In fact, when I took it, more of the questions related to CP safety than to anatomic pathology (AP) safety. Maybe I just was in a pocket of CP questions. But afterwards, I did look up who was on the ASCP safety exam committee who wrote the questions, and I think there were 5 CP techs/pathologists, and only 1 AP histotech. (But remember, many questions are both AP and CP - fire, acid cabinets, first aid, etc.) Definitely know your organizations - a whole alphabet of agencies. Hope this helps. As Safety Officer of Anatomic Pathology, I was always worried that something might happen, and someone would get hurt. And that they might sue the hospital, the department and/or me. And I could see a lawyer asking me And what makes YOU qualified to be a Safety Officer? Any my answer of - well, no one else wanted the job that doesn't pay you any extra, and I don't know how to say no would not go over very well with a jury. So I figured having passed the ASCP exam would give me some credentialing as being qualified to be a safety officer. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Adesupo, Adesuyi (Banjo) Sent: Thursday, December 26, 2013 1:53 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] LABORATORY SAFETY TEST Hi, I am interested in doing the ASCP qualification in laboratory safety test and I will appreciate it, if you guys in histoland could assist/help me with some hints on how to prepare for this test. Thanking you all for your anticipated cooperation. Banjo Adesuyi, BSMT, HT (ASCP), HTL (ASCP), QIHC (ASCP) Histology Supervisor Norman Regional Health System, Norman, OK 73071. Tel: 405- 307- 1145 == CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail communication and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information for the use of the designated recipients named above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, disclosure, dissemination, distribution, or copying of it or its contents is prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately and destroy all copies of this communication and any attachments. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] beautiful microscope photos
Just for fun. This year’s top 10 Olympus Bioscapes digital imaging competition. Most through microscopes. http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/12/olympus-bioscapes-microscope-photography/#slideid-395121 Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Histology Leader Webinars
If not interested in webinars designed for supervisors and trainers/instructors, please delete. NSH has developed a new set of webinars for supervisors and instructors. 11 in total in 2014 – 3 on management, 3 on education/training, 5 on quality. The webinars are $35 per person if ordered individually. Discounts: If ordering: - all 11 = $325 - 3 management = $90 - 3 education = $90 - 5 quality = $145 - pick any 6 = $180 1 hour each, 1 hour CE if attend the webinar (will get an archive version later for reference, but cannot attend later and earn CE). 1-2 pm ET, various days of the week. For more information: http://www.nsh.org/content/2014-histology-leader-webinars Click on “Click here to register now” On top, click on “Webinars” to get titles, speakers, abstracts, dates Disclosure: I’m the NSH webinar coordinator. Non-paid position. Just working with NSH to bring educational material to supervisors and instructors in histotechnology. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] RE: Yahoo link
Couple of studies that I know of. One was sponsored by NSH in the mid-1980's. KH Kilburn came to several NSH Symposiums, and did different tests on people who volunteered to participate. Published findings in the late 1980's that said that histotechs had lower pulmonary function than average population, and decreased memory, equilibrium and dexterity than the general population. In Letters to the Editor, people pointed out statistical flaws (low numbers of participants, for example). I also feel there were flaws, such as testing people after traveling over time zones, who were up late at the parties, and had possibly been drinking the night before. There was no way to measure how much exposure to formaldehyde or xylene people were really exposed to. I didn't participate, but if I though the amount I was being exposed to was medium, someone else being exposed to the same amount might have said low amount and someone else could have said high amount. And the studies would say therefore the low pulmonary exposure was due to histotechs being exposed to formaldehyde. But who could say it was due to that chemical, and not due another chemical, or due to the fact that at the same time, people were smoking in the lab I was working in, which was a small space. Another study somewhat relates - S Khattak in 1999 wrote one on pregnancy outcomes following gestational exposure to organic solvents. They interview women who were pregnant and working with organic solvent, so painters for example, so not histotechs only. They compared them to women of same age, same number of children, similar profession not exposed to organic solvents. They found that if the exposed women were having symptoms (breathing problems, rashes), they had a higher percentage of miscarriages and babies with deformities. If there were no symptoms, they had the same, and even lower, percentages than comparable women giving birth who were not exposed. What histology needs is something like the nursing organization in the US has been doing for over 40 years. Everyone who is a member of the nursing society is sent a survey (I think every year), and asked to have physicals information released from their doctors to the organization (It's voluntary to participate). But they have 40+ years of data from hundred of thousands of women, of all ages. They can mine a wealth of medical data from this. NSH (and ASCP) may not have enough histotechs in their organization to pay for the type of survey needed, to continue on for decades. We would need supervisors and bench techs to participate for decades. And probably have to mail them several formaldehyde and xylene monitors every year, or every couple of years, to collect real numbers of how much people were exposed to. And the surveys were pages and pages long (my mother was a nurse who participated from the beginning, so I've seen them), and asked lots of questions about health and diet and smoking and personal issues, in addition to questions about what types of chemical we work with an how much and how often. And how do we measure ventilation in all these places of work? I hope someone comes up with some studies that can help us figure out if histotechs are being exposed to enough chemicals that could be causing these different diseases in humans. There are animal studies, but not human. And remember, people in general, including histotechs, are living longer. If we live longer, we are more likely to have chronic diseases like diabetes, COPD, and cancer. We need to know which cancers are caused by which levels of formaldehyde or organic solvents, vs., say, breast cancer and prostate cancer just because we are women or men. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Elizabeth Cameron Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2013 8:24 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] RE: Yahoo link I know the potential for damage to your health is huge in histology, but are there any studies out there that indicate histotechs are less healthy than the average person? -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Ingles Claire Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2013 7:06 PM To: Histonet Subject: [Histonet] RE: Yahoo link Old Histologists never die, they're just well fixed... Claire From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] on behalf of Morken, Timothy [timothy.mor...@ucsfmedctr.org] Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2013 11:22 AM To: 'Shirley A. Powell'; Histonet Subject: [Histonet] RE: Yahoo link Well, Shirley, you are actually an Angel, so nothing will ever stop you!! (from an old Georgia Society hand). Tim Morken Supervisor, Electron Microscopy and Neuromuscular Special Studies UC San Francisco Medical Center San Francisco, CA -Original
[Histonet] Chris van der Loos
Sad news. I received an email over the weekend from a histotech, that Chris van der Loos died on Nov. 26, 2013. I was able to talk with the NSH office today, and got it confirmed. There is information about Chris on the NSH webpage as of later this morning. http://www.nsh.org/content/remembering-dr-chris-van-der-loos-august-2-1955-%E2%80%93-november-26-2013 Peggy A. Wenk. HTL(ASCP)SLS ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Rolling of my ribbon ? Another paraffin question.
Just a thought - have you tried changing the angle of the blade? Each different type of blade from different vendors need a different angle for microtoming. Each different type of microtome from different vendors need a different angle for microtoming. I know these two facts, as I have tried different vendors' blades, and have had to change the angle on the microtome to get a good ribbon. The School also has different vendors' microtomes in the School, all using the same blades, and they had to be set at different angles. Plus, I have talked with vendors of various microtomes and various blades, and those who really know microtomy, especially those were were/are histotechs, will tell you that the blade angles need to be changed depending upon which blade is being used at which microtome. And also, from year to year, with different students sitting at the same microtome, we've also had to change the angles, depending on how the student cuts. We haven't changed brands of paraffin in the long time, but I'm wondering if we would need to change the angle of blade if we got a different paraffin. The easiest way to check is to move the knife angle all the way to one end (for example, on the vendor's microtome that we have the most of in the School, that would be to # 10.) Try microtoming. If that doesn't help, move it one degree (what would be #9 if there were a number). Try microtoming again. Keep doing this (changing angles and microtoming) until you get the best ribbon. (We found it easier to start at one end and move down, rather to start in the middle (say, #5), and then not know if we need to go up (#6) or go down (#4)). Let us know if knife angle is a factor with this new paraffin. I'd really like to know. Vendors - anyone know/have information that blade angle makes a difference with type of paraffin, for getting good ribbons? Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Stella Mireles Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2013 3:18 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Rolling of my ribbon ? Another paraffin question. *I am presently using a paraffin designated as an IM product.* *We are a facility that cuts only autopsies and have been experiencing alot of rolling of our sections.* *We did recently switch to this product, because of cost.* *Question : Is the paraffin you are using working well on autopsy tissue and producing ribbons right away ? Do you use it for infiltration as well as embedding ?* *Thank you for your assistant.* *Stella Walters* ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] PicroSirius Red in Frozen Sections
I'm going to try to take a stab at this, but I don't know specifically about the picrosirius red stain. I'm going to talk in general about stains and fixation (or lack thereof in the frozen section (FS)), and the relationship between fixation and staining. I'm going to start out very simple, and then get a little more complicated, so hang in there. (If you are not interested in dye theory, delete now, as this is going to get long. But if you like dye theory (like I do), I hope you enjoy this. And if you do like dye theory, let me know if you think I'm correct, or if I’m barking up the wrong tree.) Stains bind to proteins in the tissue, which are made up of amino acids, which either are positively charged, negatively charged, or non-polar (no charge). Dyes usually have positive ions and negative ions, but tend to have more of one type, and thus are considered either positively charged or negatively charged, and/or tend to bind via one type of bonding over another (e.g., hydrogen bonds vs. covalent). Different Proteins in tissue have their own unique shape and density. Dyes have their own shapes. The two shapes have to be somewhat similar for the proteins to bind to a dye. A round ball might be able to fit into an open space in a protein, whereas a stiff long dye (think something the shape of a ruler) might not be able to fit into that space. Differently Proteins have their own density (loose to tightly packed). Dyes have their own sizes (small to very large). The dye has to be able to fit into the protein, so a large dye may find it difficult to fit into a dense bunch of protein, whereas a small dye can fit into loose protein and dense protein. Therefore, for a dye to bind to a protein, the charged ions on the dyes have to be the opposite of the charges on the amino acids/proteins (positive binding to negative). And the charges on the dyes have to line up with the charges on the proteins, so the dye has to be able to fit into the protein, and the charges have to line up. Therefore, if we do something that changes the CHARGES on the protein, and/or the SHAPE of the proteins, and/or the DENSITY of the proteins, the dye may bind differently (not at all, very little, or too much). (Conversely, changing the dye in any way could cause different staining patterns, but since you said it was the same kit, and since you said later your boss asked for the stain to be done on a FS, I'm expecting it to have been the same day or the next, so I don't think the kit went bad, and I'm assuming you did the stain correctly. So I won't be discussing bad staining due to bad dyes or performing the stain incorrectly.) Now, onto fixation vs. frozen section (FS). I'm assuming 10% formalin was the fixative, or a zinc formalin, or a formalin substitute (glyoxal). It's the formalin/formaldehyde/glyoxal that is negatively charged. It will bind with positive amino acids in the protein. Let's assume there were 10 + and 10 - amino acids on the protein, so the overall charge of the protein is a net zero. Let's bind 4 of the + amino acids with - charged formalin. You now have 6 + and 10 - amino acids, so you have more negative amino acids than positive, so your tissue is more negatively charged. You have just changed the CHARGES on the proteins. Fixatives cross-link proteins, and pull them in different directions. You have therefore changed the SHAPE of the protein. Since the fixative is cross-linking the protein, and pulling the proteins in different directions, some proteins are going to be pulled further apart, thus becoming looser in density, while other proteins are being pulled closer together, or being made denser. You have therefore changed the DENSITY of the protein. Most dyes/stains used in histology were designed to be used with formalin fixed tissue, and are therefore made to work with proteins that have had their charges changed, their shapes altered, and their density changed, according to the changes made by formalin. Frozen sections have NOT have any fixative, and are therefore similar to the unfixed tissue, without the changes in charged, shape, and density. So it should make sense that unfixed/FS tissues should/could stain differently than fixed tissue. Now, for sirius red specifically. There are several different sirius red dye molecules. I don't know which one in particular you used, but in this explanation, it doesn't really matter, because they all belong to the polyazo dye family. That means they are made up of several benzene rings (5 to 8), held together in a long row (linear - like the ruler I mentioned earlier) with azo bonds (Nitrogen double bonded to Nitrogen -N=N- which have hydrogens bonded to them, giving these bonds a positive charge), and several sulfonic acid groups bound to the benzene rings ( -SO3 ions, which are negatively charged). To me, these sirius red dye molecules look very similar to Congo red dye molecules, and
[Histonet] 2014 NSH Teleconferences/Webinars
Promotion about NSH teleconferences for next year – if not interested, delete now. FYI – the 2014 NSH webinar schedule is now available, and so is signing up. http://www.nsh.org/content/2014-nsh-laboratory-webinar-series-registration-now-open If this link doesn’t work, go to NSH webpage www.nsh.org Part way down on the left it says 2014 NSH Laboratory Webinar Series Registration Now Open Just click on that. One each month, usually 4th Wed of month (unless NSH Symposium or a major holiday interferes), from 1-2 pm Eastern Time. Can have as many people attend as you want, and each gets 1 hour CE. Your lab also gets a link afterwards, and for those who couldn’t attend (working, off-shift, vacation, etc.), they can participate up to 2 years later, and still get CE. $125 for each month, $1350 for all 12 months if you sign up by 1/22/14 (savings of $150, or better than buy 11, get 1 free). IHC, histology, autopsy, safety ergonomics. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS NSH Webinar Coordinator (No, I don’t get any money for doing this job or advertising it – I’m a volunteer) ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] basement membranes
Electron Microscope. Even if you did a periodic acid-methenamine silver stain (PASM, Jones), which in my opinion is the best histology stain, since it is a silver stain, you can get different thicknesses of basement membrane (bm) by leaving it in longer or shorter than is optimal for that patient's bm thickness. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Edwards, Richard E. Sent: Monday, November 04, 2013 9:39 AM To: Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] basement membranes Best technique, tinctorial or otherwise of identifying, with a view to measuring their width, many thanks. Richard Edwards Leicester University U.K. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] External UV for a Leica 1850?
If you are a CAP accredited lab, CAP says that the cryostat must be defrosted and disinfectant decontaminated at regular intervals with a TB disinfectant. - - - ANP.23410 Cryostat Decontamination Phase II There is a documented procedure for the routine decontamination of the cryostat at defined intervals, and decontamination records are evident. NOTE: The cryostat must be defrosted and decontaminated by wiping all exposed surfaces with tuberculocidal disinfectant. The cryostat should be at room temperature during decontamination unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer. This should be done at an interval appropriate for the institution; this must be weekly for instruments used daily. Trimmings and sections of tissue that accumulate inside the cryostat must be removed during decontamination. Although not a requirement, steel mesh gloves should be worn when changing knife blades. - - - - Even if you can use a UV light, ALL debris/contaminants must be removed from the cryostat chamber BEFORE using the UV light. The germicidal effect of radiation is only good on the areas that the UV light can hit directly. So any little corners, or areas under metal plates, or areas under the OCT/tissue shavings will not be directly illuminated by the UV light, and thus will not be disinfected. There are also different types of UV lamps. I have heard that low efficiency UV lamps need a long period of time of being turned on to disinfect, and that this long exposure in a small area of the chamber of the cryostat can produce a high level of ozone in the chamber, so there could be an ozone exposure level to the tech using the cryostat. So, UV light can be used in CONJUNCTION with wiping out, chemical disinfecting, and defrosting. But I don't believe it can be used IN PLACE of wiping out, chemical disinfecting, and defrosting. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Paula Sicurello Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2013 2:36 PM To: HistoNet Subject: [Histonet] External UV for a Leica 1850? Hello Fellow Netters, Has anyone tried using some type of external UV source to decontaminate a Leica 1850 cryostat? I found out that it is not possible to retro fit the 1850 for UV. I would like to be able to avoid having to defrost, breakdown and bleach the cryostat everytime a suspected infectious tissue is cut in it. Suggestions kindly welcomed. Thanks! Paula -- Paula Sicurello, HTL (ASCP) Supervisor, Clinical Electron Microscopy Laboratory Duke University Health System Rm.#251M, Duke South, Green Zone Durham, North Carolina 27710 P: 919.684.2091 HIPAA Privacy Notification: This message and any accompanying documents are covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. 2510-2521, and contain information intended for the specific individual (s) only. This information is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient or an agent responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this document in error and that any review, dissemination, copying or the taking of any action based on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited . If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail, and delete the original message. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] AFB Controls
Make your own. Take some fresh lung (slightly edematous is better, if you can get it). Cut into 2x2 mm cubes (or largest 3x3 mm cubes). Contact Microbiology, and have them make a broth with a non-pathogenic AFB in a large tube (e.g., plastic centrifuge tube). Put lung cubes in broth. Incubate overnight (I found that room temp is usually OK). Next morning, add 10% NBF. Wait about an hour or so, then dispose of NBF, and add fresh 10% NBF. (The first NBF is diluted by the broth, and by allowing the NBF to sit in the broth for a while, it kills the bacteria. Adding the 2nd NBF allows the tissue to be fixed in 10% NBF, rather than diluted NBF.) Allow to fix most of the day, put tissue in cassettes, process as usual, embed, and you have lots of AFB controls for really cheap. Write up a cost containment (how much it cost you to make X number of blocks that you can get Y number of control slides from vs. the cost of buying the same number of Y slides from a vendor.) Management will love you for your cost containment. Works for gram +, gram -, and fungus (get the correct broth). Will work for spirochete too, but our micro lab has only a LARGE non-pathogenic spirochete, which is much larger than syphilis. So doing a Steiner stain would most likely yield a false-negative. (When the large spirochetes control is seen, the little syphilis would not be stained.) Please realize, these controls may not work for IHC. Better check on the genus. They work great for Kinyoun/Ziehl-Neelsen/Fites, Brown and Hopps/Brown and Brenn, GMS/PAS, Steiner/Warthin-Starry. Peggy Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Cheryl Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2013 5:24 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] AFB Controls Help? We are about to run out of AFB control slides and haven't had a good loaded case in a while. Is there an easy way to come up with an AFB positive block or could someone lend me one to be replaced at a later date? (Go through too many to be cost effective to buy) OR is there something out in the world I can use to make a control? Please respond to tkngfl...@yahoo.com Cheryl Kerry, HT(ASCP) 281.852.9457 Office 800.756.3309 Phone Fax ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] NSH emails
1. Convention booklet - At the convention, every attendee was given a spiral bound booklet, with thick glossy pages. The last tab is the Speaker Directory with Hospital/lab info, city/state, email addresses. 2. NSH Member Directory - go to NSH webpage (www.nsh.org ), go to Member Directory - right side, half way down page. Must be NSH member, and if you haven't registered a user name and password, need to do that. Can get addresses, phone numbers and email addresses if they are NSH members. 3. Call NSH Office - 443-535-4060 Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Sarah Dysart Sent: Friday, October 04, 2013 4:02 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] NSH emails Does anyone know how to get an email address of someone who presented? If not does anyone have the addresses for Melanie von Brandenstein or Heike Goebel? Thanks Sarah Goebel-Dysart, BA, HT(ASCP), QIHC (ASCP) Histotechnologist Mirna Therapeutics 2150 Woodward Street Suite 100 Austin, Texas 78744 (512)901-0900 ext. 6912 ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] HT HistoDeck question...
Personally, I think it's a is a wrong answer, and that you are correct that b is a better answer. My students and I have found a couple of other questions that we thought had the wrong answer indicated in the study set. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Stephenson, Sheryl Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2013 7:21 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] HT HistoDeck question... Hi, Please clarify why this answer to the HistoDeck study question is a) and not b). Here is the question: 'Frozen section slides cut from fresh, unfixed tissue specimens are optimally fixed in which of the following solutions? a) 37%-40% formaldehyde b) Cold acetone c) Acetic acid alcohol d) Alcoholic formalin Thanks, Sheryl Stephenson | Histology Technician ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] RE: Inconsistent Sections with Cryostat
I just attended Jan Minshew's workshop on cryostats at the NSH Symposium in Providence, RI, and she brought up something I had never thought of that causes thick and thin. If the handle that tightens the blade in the blade holder is over-tightened, the blade will become bowed, and that will cause thick-and-thin during sectioning. According to Jan, the handle should be tightened to be parallel to the angle of the blade holder slope. A lot of times, the handle can be pushed further back towards the back of the cryostat, beyond being parallel with the slope. The thought seems to be, if tight is good, then tighter is better, but not in this case. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Manfre, Philip Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2013 7:54 AM To: Perow, Elliott S (PEROWES10) ; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] RE: Inconsistent Sections with Cryostat I believe you may need to have the unit serviced. It sounds like something is not tight enough, perhaps the stage or blade holder unit. You said you secured everything which makes me think you have some issue with the cryostat itself. If a sharp blade, tightened blade and specimen, and varying the speed doesn't work, then you may need professional assistance form a service technician, especially if it is an older unit that has been moved around. Have you tried different temperatures? I don't think that is the problem but it is worth a try. Good luck! Cryosectioning can be an art in itself. Those decent sections are likely thicker than you intend, by the way. Classic thick and thin. Philip Manfre, B.A., HT (ASCP) Associate Principal Scientist Merck Research Laboratories WP45-251 PO Box 4 West Point, PA 19486 215-652-9750 215-993-0383 (fax) philip_man...@merck.com -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Perow, Elliott S (PEROWES10) Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2013 12:33 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Inconsistent Sections with Cryostat Hello All, I have a Leica Cryocut 1800 with a Reichert-Jung 2020 microtome that has sat for 8 years and went through a move from one academic building to another. I am trying to section brook trout brain, but am having difficulty getting consistent sections. I will get a good section and then the next section will be a very very thin shaving of usually just the top portion of the OCT block. I have tried adjusting the clearance angle, made sure the blade and specimen is secured, replaced the blade with a new one, have tried different sectioning speeds, different thicknesses of the section and still continually only get a decent section every other turn. I was wondering if anyone has had any similar experiences or if maybe the machine just needs a maintenance check due to it being an older machine. I wasn't sure if the advancement mechanism may be off or if it is another issue that doesn't seem apparent to me. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Elliott Perow Juniata College Biology POE CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The materials in this electronic mail transmission (including all attachments) are private and confidential and are the property of the sender. The information contained in the material is privileged and is intended only for the use of the named addressee(s). If you are not the intended addressee, be advised that any unauthorized disclosure, copying, distribution or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this material is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the sender by replying to the e-mail, and then destroy it immediately. Thank you. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet Notice: This e-mail message, together with any attachments, contains information of Merck Co., Inc. (One Merck Drive, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, USA 08889), and/or its affiliates Direct contact information for affiliates is available at http://www.merck.com/contact/contacts.html) that may be confidential, proprietary copyrighted and/or legally privileged. It is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity named on this message. If you are not the intended recipient, and have received this message in error, please notify us immediately by reply e-mail and then delete it from your system. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] HT HistoDeck question...
I agree, there is probably more than one correct answer to this question, depending upon whether you are planning on doing stains for lipids, IHC, immunofluoresence or muscle enzymes. But I don't think (A) full strength 37-40% formaldehyde solution would ever be the correct answer. Unless you put a gauze in the bottom on the coplin jar, pour a little conc. formaldehyde on the gauze, put a lid on the coplin jar, and fix the section in formaldehyde vapors. But the question does say SOLUTION, not VAPOR. So I still think A is wrong. And most likely full strength acetic acid (C) is wrong - would eat the tissue off the slide. That leaves cold acetone (B) , which is good for some antibodies and some enzymes, or alcoholic formalin (D) which might be OK, but most of the time things either like alcohol and hate formalin, or they like formalin and don't like alcohol. So I would think most FS that we want to fix would not particularly like alcoholic formalin. And none of the solutions listed are good for lipids. So, given the question (with incomplete information) and the choices of answers, I would still side with (B) cold acetone. Now - a little aside - for the questions on the ASCP HT and HTL exams - if it is a new question, the people on the HT/HTL exam committee would be looking at it intensely before it goes on the exam for the first time. If the committee people are having problems answering it (like we are here), the question would be reworked until all the issues are resolved (such as putting in for lymph node IHC into the question). If it makes it past the committee, and the stats from the exam show that many people are having problems answering it, the question is pulled from the exam and is not used in the person's score. The question is then sent back to the HT/HTL exam committee, to try to figure out why examinees were having problems, and the question reworked again. As someone who has written exam questions at the school for 20+ years, I can tell you that it really is hard to write exam questions. I think I've covered everything in the question so that it is straight forward, and then half the students read something into the question that I never thought of, or come up with a written answer that I never considered. So I either have to throw out the question or give the point to the student, depending upon what's going on. And then mark the question for a re-write next year. And that doesn't include me marking the wrong answer on my master sheet. It happens! Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Watson, Linda Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2013 9:40 AM To: Lee Peggy Wenk ; Stephenson, Sheryl ; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: [Histonet] HT HistoDeck question... For frozen cut sections, would the fixation also depend on what you plan on doing with it. For example, HE, Special Stain or IHC? Please correct if I am wrong. I think that is a trick question!!! -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet- boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Lee Peggy Wenk Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2013 8:16 AM To: Stephenson, Sheryl; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: Re: [Histonet] HT HistoDeck question... Personally, I think it's a is a wrong answer, and that you are correct that b is a better answer. My students and I have found a couple of other questions that we thought had the wrong answer indicated in the study set. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Stephenson, Sheryl Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2013 7:21 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] HT HistoDeck question... Hi, Please clarify why this answer to the HistoDeck study question is a) and not b). Here is the question: 'Frozen section slides cut from fresh, unfixed tissue specimens are optimally fixed in which of the following solutions? a) 37%-40% formaldehyde b) Cold acetone c) Acetic acid alcohol d) Alcoholic formalin Thanks, Sheryl Stephenson | Histology Technician ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet This message (including any attachments) may contain confidential, proprietary, privileged and/or private information. The information is intended to be for the use of the individual or entity designated above. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please notify the sender immediately, and delete the message and any attachments. Any disclosure, reproduction, distribution
[Histonet] Unsubscribe for NSH Symposium
For those going to the NSH Symposium, PLEASE unsubscribe, rather than having everyone on the email list read your return message of “I am out of the office” for every single Histonet email sent to you. Reminder on how: - Go to the bottom on any Histonet email - Click on the internet link (the one that starts http://) - Scroll to the bottom, fill in the information in the last “rectangle” Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Unregistered HT
Just a comment on the comment about there being not enough HT/HTL programs in the US. Agreed. There are 38 HT and 7 HTL, for a total of 45. Compare that with 223 MLS/MT and 233 MLT, for a total of 456, and we histotechs have 1/10 the number of programs as med techs. If you are interested in starting a HT or HTL program in your area, either in a hospital or a college, or would like information about what it would take to start one, Sarah Bajer and I are presenting at Providence, RI, Workshop #2 on How to Start a HT or HTL School, on Saturday Sept. 21, from 8:00 am - 11:30 am. Come and collect the information. To register, go to the NSH website http://www.histoconvention.org/ Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Marcum, Pamela A Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 9:18 AM To: 'Weems, Joyce K.' ; 'JenniferMacDonald' Cc: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu ; histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: [Histonet] Unregistered HT We have heard for years that NSH is working on changing the status to Laboratory Professionals and so far as I have heard nothing happening to make the change. A large part of this is ASCP/all organizations inspecting/licensing are still looking at us as non-skilled labor that requires only OJT training or an AA/AS degree at best. We have a few one year schools and some online however; not enough to cover the need for HTs and HTLs. We need ASCP/CAP/CLIA/all organizations that inspect us and tell us how to run the laboratories to actually understand we have changed in the last 25 years and no longer just cut and do HEs. I am not sure where to go as I have been bringing this up for years and see no movement. Take the test to be an inspector for CAP and you will see the problem clearly. It is 98% Clinical Laboratory and maybe 2% Anatomic Pathology. If you don't know Clinical you will have a problem passing the test without help. Pam Marcum -Original Message- From: Weems, Joyce K. [mailto:joyce.we...@emoryhealthcare.org] Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 8:08 AM To: 'Jennifer MacDonald'; Marcum, Pamela A Cc: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu; histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: [Histonet] Unregistered HT And the reason so many have been fighting for this for years. If a lab were looking for a Medical Technologist there would be no question. Joyce Weems Pathology Manager 678-843-7376 Phone 678-843-7831 Fax joyce.we...@emoryhealthcare.org www.saintjosephsatlanta.org 5665 Peachtree Dunwoody Road Atlanta, GA 30342 This e-mail, including any attachments is the property of Saint Joseph's Hospital and is intended for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). It may contain information that is privileged and confidential. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete this message, and reply to the sender regarding the error in a separate email. -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Jennifer MacDonald Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 7:32 PM To: Marcum, Pamela A Cc: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu; histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: [Histonet] Unregistered HT As long as we do not need certification, licensure and minium education requirements we will not be recognized as Laboratory Professionals. From: Marcum, Pamela A pamar...@uams.edu To: 'joelle weaver' joellewea...@hotmail.com, 'Emily Sours' talulahg...@gmail.com, histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Date: 09/10/2013 01:12 PM Subject:RE: [Histonet] Unregistered HT Sent by:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu I agree we have huge gray areas and not all histology schools are as good as they could be for what we are facing in Histology. I keep harping on the fact that until we are recognized as Laboratory Professionals we will stay in this limbo. The rules determining complex testing should be revisited to what is done in Histology Laboratories today and not what we did 30 or more years ago. The Clinical Laboratory is now so automated it is hard to find anyone in most areas who can even remember doing any manual testing. The Micro lab is the closest to being as manual as areas of Histology. I am in a small market and finding a registered Histologist is harder for us. I would love to have 8 to choose from and interview. Pam Marcum From: joelle weaver [mailto:joellewea...@hotmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 2:59 PM To: Marcum, Pamela A; 'Emily Sours'; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: [Histonet] Unregistered HT Well I am mostly clinical...but I think that organizations can set standards outside and beyond what CAP,CLIA etc stipulate. For the position I have now, I had to submit all my transcripts from high
Re: [Histonet] Unsubscribe, Chapter 195
I'm going to wade in, not as someone who has posted numerous times on how to unsubscribe, but as someone assessing it from a risk assessment evaluation. If there is a lab task that is consistently being done wrong, by many different people, it is usually NOT the fault of the people. It is either a training issue, or a process problem. So we either have to do a better job training and re-training, or we need to change how the process/procedure is being done. With the Histonet email, since people are constantly joining, often for a day or two, we can't really improve the training aspect. Yes, there are instructions when we first join, to print off/save how to subscribe or unsubscribe or change personal information, etc. But (be honest) how many of us pay attention to these types of instructions when we sign up to be a member of a credit card or a on-line department store or an on-line book store or other email lists? Most people do not. So we know that this type of training is not effective. But we really can't do a one-on-one type of training session for each person who signs on to Histonet. Therefore, improving the training is not the answer. The answer lies in modifying the process. Look at the bottom of those emails from credit cards or hotels or department stores that you have signed up with. There is usually a line that says If you no longer wish to receive these emails, click on this link and follow the instructions. Add to that, various email lists have various methods on how to unsubscribe, which can involve a link, or putting the word unsubscribe in the subject, or putting the word unsubscribe in the message. Histonet has a link at the bottom, but no instructions. So it's not clear to click on the link to unsubscribe, nor is there any mention whether one of the other unsubscribing methods would work. I therefore believe the Histonet unsubscribing procedure has a process problem, that could be easily fixed. As for the fact that how to unsubscribe has been explained 5,391+ times in the past does not help the person who signed up over the weekend, and as of today, decided that Histonet is not what they need. This new person has not seen the previous requests for help with unsubscribing, nor the answers on how to do it. Again, this is a process problem. Is there any way Histonet can get some clearer instructions at the bottom of each email, on how to unsubscribe, either permanently or temporarily while on vacation? Such as saying To unsubscribe, click on the link below, and follow the instructions at the bottom of the next webpage. Let's not yell at the people trying to unsubscribe. Let's work on improving the unsubscribing process, so we don't get these requests. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Manfre, Philip Sent: Friday, September 06, 2013 7:30 AM To: nmhi...@comcast.net ; HISTONET Subject: RE: [Histonet] Unsubscribe, Chapter 195 Trained professionals should know by now that if you want to unsubscribe, you must type in all caps - UNSUBSCRIBE Philip Manfre, B.A., HT (ASCP) Associate Principal Scientist Merck Research Laboratories WP45-251 PO Box 4 West Point, PA 19486 215-652-9750 215-993-0383 (fax) philip_man...@merck.com -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of nmhi...@comcast.net Sent: Thursday, September 05, 2013 9:57 PM To: HISTONET Subject: [Histonet] Unsubscribe, Chapter 195 It is a concern that members of our technically-oriented career field have a difficult time understanding the method for unsubscribing to Histonet. There is an almost- daily posting to unsubscribe, despite the fact that this subject has been addressed literally hundreds of times. When one joins Histonet, instructions are provided, should be printed out for reference and used if the subscriber decides to leave the group. We are required to be knowledgeable on all manner of technical routines requiring detailed instructions and Histonet is no less clear in the methods for joining and un-joining. Use them, please. Fire away - I'm retired and I can take the flak! I do miss my microtome, though... ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet Notice: This e-mail message, together with any attachments, contains information of Merck Co., Inc. (One Merck Drive, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, USA 08889), and/or its affiliates Direct contact information for affiliates is available at http://www.merck.com/contact/contacts.html) that may be confidential, proprietary copyrighted and/or legally privileged. It is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity named on this message. If you are not the intended recipient, and have received this message in error, please notify us immediately by reply
Re: [Histonet] Travel Histology Technician Jobs
On Sunday, Sept. 22, from 8 am - 9:30 am at the NSH Symposium in Providence, RI, Beth Cox, HTL/SCT(ASCP)QIHC is presenting a workshop on Work and Play Across the USA - A Guide to Being a Traveling Tech. http://www.histoconvention.org/ Click on Schedule Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Christopher Jacobs Sent: Monday, September 09, 2013 1:30 PM To: 'histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu' Subject: [Histonet] Travel Histology Technician Jobs Histonetters, Does anyone out there have any information on traveling histology technician jobs? What is the compensation? How does insurance work? What qualifications are needed? I am particularly interested in any personal experiences any one has had. Thanks! CJ Christopher P. Jacobs, HT QIHC(ASCP) Clin-Path Diagnostics, LLC CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message and any attachments are for the sole use of the intended recipient(s). This message is confidential and may also be privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender immediately, delete the contents of this message and do not use it for any purpose. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] RE: Competency for Anatomic and Clinical Pathology
On Wednesday (yesterday), there was a CAP teleconference on the to-be-updated (to be posted end of July 2013) AP checklist. Someone asked a question about this, mentioning that someone from CAP had said competency assessment does not apply to histology. The reply from the presenter and the CAP office people who could also respond was that competency assess does apply to histology, but that some of the 6 components that have to be checked for may not apply for some or most of the histotech jobs. So if a component of competency doesn't apply, then it doesn't have to be evaluated. Below is part of the standard: GEN.55500 Competency Assessment Phase II The competency of each person to perform his/her assigned duties is assessed. NOTE: The competency of each person to perform the duties assigned must be assessed following training before the person performs patient testing.Thereafter, during the first year of an individual's duties, competency must be assessed at least semiannually. After an individual has performed his/her duties for one year, competency must be assessed annually. Retraining and reassessment of employee competency must occur when problems are identified with employee performance. Elements of competency assessment include but are not limited to: 1. Direct observations of routine patient test performance, including, as applicable, patient identification and preparation; and specimen collection, handling, processing and testing 2. Monitoring the recording and reporting of test results, including, as applicable, reporting critical results 3. Review of intermediate test results or worksheets, quality control records, proficiency testing results, and preventive maintenance records 4. Direct observation of performance of instrument maintenance and function checks 5. Assessment of test performance through testing previously analyzed specimens, internal blind testing samples or external proficiency testing samples; and 6. Evaluation of problem-solving skills These are the 6 components, all of which must be assessed for every task done by histotech - except if it doesn't apply. So, for example, if you are assessing the competency of sectioning, then #2 - reporting of critical values, and #5 - blind testing samples - doesn't apply, so you don't need to assess via #2 and #5. But you would have to assess the person microtoming via the other 4 types of assessment. (But if you are participating in HistoQIP, microtomy is being assess via external proficiency testing sample, so if some of your people's slides were evaluated, you actually have #5 covered for microtomy). So every aspect of the histotech's job (and the lab assistant) must be assessed by as many of the 6 elements above as apply to each task. CAP says we must assess competency, Joint Commission says we must assess competency, and CLIA says we must assess competency, and the 6 elements come from CLIA. So we must assess competency. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS William Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 The opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect on my hospital. -Original Message- From: Michelle Lamphere Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 9:10 AM To: 'histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu' Cc: Elma Cortinas Subject: [Histonet] RE: Competency for Anatomic and Clinical Pathology I think a few people might find this interesting I recently attended a class about Competency Assessments in the lab. The class was given by Ken Byrd (fairly certain that is how you spell his name), a Senior Inspector at CAP. When this particular question came up, I asked him to give examples of how the histology lab was supposed to use the 6 elements to assess competency. He informed the entire class that the competency assessment question with the six elements did not apply to the histology lab because histology did not report test results. It is the one question on the Gen Lab checklist that did not apply to ANP. Kinda shocking, I know. It does not mean that we scrapped our entire competency program, we simply removed some of the six elements. Michelle Lamphere Senior Tech, Histology Anatomic Pathology Children's Medical Center O: 214.456.2318 | Fax: 214.456.0779 E: michelle.lamph...@childrens.com 1935 Medical District Drive | B1.06 | Dallas, Texas 75235 Message: 9 Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 07:14:08 -0400 From: Histology hi...@pathlab.us Subject: [Histonet] Competency for Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Message-ID: 9C0B151B30AC5F4ABFD1B69D915F84CF33E6D4@dc01.DominionPath.local Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi, I would love to see your competency spreadsheet for histology. We just finished our first CAP inspection and got a deficiency here. He said the direct observation was great, but that we need to have all 6 elements. I am having trouble trying to come up with a way to evaluate some of these and would love any help.
[Histonet] If going to holiday/vacation, or to unsubscribe
If you are going to vacation/holiday, please unsubscribe from Histonet. We don’t want a zillion messages saying “I am out of the office.” If you no longer want to receive Histonet emails because it isn’t your cup of tea, then please follow these directions on how to unsubscribe: - Go to the bottom of any Histonet email (such as this one) - Click on the link to the webpage page (the one that starts with “http”, not the email link) - Scroll again to the bottom of the page, type your email address where you receive Histonet, into the last box on the bottom of the page. - Hit the button that says “unsubscribe or edit options” - Follow any other directions (sorry, I’m not going any further on the links, since I don’t want to unsubscribe. There may or may not be more directions. I don’t remember.) When back from your vacation/holiday, do a search for “Histonet subscribe”, follow the links, and resubscribe. Or save this email, and go to: http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet to resubscribe. Thank you. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Fatty Fixation
What exactly is wrong with the fatty specimens? If the nuclei look smudgy, with no nuclear detail, then it has not been fixed long enough. If the fat is still in the tissue and you cannot section it on a microtome, then the tissue has not had enough time during processing, especially length of time in xylene and paraffin. So it would be a processing problem, not a fixation problem. And possibly a grossing problem, if the fatty tissue is grossed to thick for the length of time on the processor. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 Opinions expressed do not reflect on the hospital. -Original Message- From: White, Lisa M. Sent: Thursday, June 20, 2013 2:23 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Fatty Fixation Does anyone have a method they will share to fix fatty specimens? Does anyone utilize a stir plate? Any help greatly appreciated. We currently use Alcoholic Formalin but the results are not reliable. Lisa White HT(ASCP) Supervisory HT James H. Quillen VAMC Corner of Veterans Way and Lamont VAMC Warehouse BLDG. 205 PO Box 4000 PLMS 113 Mountain Home, TN 37684 423-979-3567 423-979-3401 fax ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Extra Money
The poster reimbursement has been addressed. So I'll talk about workshop presenters. It's not a free trip, but some of it is paid. For presenting 1 workshop, you are reimbursed: - air fare or cost of driving, whichever is least - parking at airport (if flying) or at hotel (if driving) - 2 nights of hotel (not to exceed the convention hotel rate). You pay for the extra days of hotel you are there. - registration fee ($35), but you have to pay for any workshops you want to attend - 1 banquet ticket - meals for 2 days (I think it's about $35/day). If you know the cost of food at convention hotels, $35 MIGHT cover part of breakfast and lunch. If you are over the $35, you pay for the rest. If you are there more than 2 days, you pay for your own food. So presenting does not give you a free ride to the convention, but it does help reduce the amount that you pay to attend. If anyone is interested in presenting, it works best if you have presented several times at your state meeting/symposium, and start building up a good reputation as a good presenter. NSH usually does not ask a first time presenter to talk at a national symposium. If you have no state organization, ask NSH to help you start one. Or, start presenting at in-services where you work. Don't have any of those? Start a monthly in-service, and put that on your resume/CV. (yes, you will need a curriculum vitae to submit to NSH if accepted.) Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 -Original Message- From: Morken, Timothy Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2013 11:52 AM To: joelle weaver ; Sarah Dysart ; Rene J Buesa ; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: [Histonet] Extra Money Actually it could be like earning money because I believe a poster presenter gets a free trip to the NSH meeting. Workshop presenters certainly do. Why do you think there are so many repeat presenters!?!? Tim Morken Supervisor, Electron Microscopy/Neuromuscular Special Studies Department of Pathology UC San Francisco Medical Center -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of joelle weaver Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2013 8:37 AM To: Sarah Dysart; Rene J Buesa; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: [Histonet] Extra Money Maybe to the nice folks at NSH :) Joelle Weaver MAOM, HTL (ASCP) QIHC From: sdys...@mirnarx.com To: rjbu...@yahoo.com; joellewea...@hotmail.com; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Date: Wed, 29 May 2013 21:05:02 + Subject: RE: [Histonet] Extra Money CC: I plan on doing a poster for NSH...does that count =) Sarah Goebel-Dysart, BA, HT(ASCP), QIHC (ASCP) Histotechnologist Mirna Therapeutics 2150 Woodward Street Suite 100 Austin, Texas 78744 (512)901-0900 ext. 6912 From: Rene J Buesa [mailto:rjbu...@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 3:37 PM To: joelle weaver; Sarah Dysart; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: Re: [Histonet] Extra Money Not even that! If you publish you will build a better c.v. but that is not assurance tof being appreciated by any prospective employer. In the rare event that it is appreciated you will be able to negotiate a better salary, but that is all! René J. From: joelle weaver joellewea...@hotmail.com To: Sarah Dysart sdys...@mirnarx.com; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 4:31 PM Subject: RE: [Histonet] Extra Money Publish Joelle Weaver MAOM, HTL (ASCP) QIHC From: sdys...@mirnarx.commailto:sdys...@mirnarx.com To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edumailto:histonet@lists.utsouthweste rn.edu Date: Wed, 29 May 2013 20:20:10 + Subject: [Histonet] Extra Money Anyone know any ideas on how to make a couple extra bucks a month using our histology-awesomeness?? Sarah Goebel-Dysart, BA, HT(ASCP), QIHC (ASCP) Histotechnologist Mirna Therapeutics 2150 Woodward Street Suite 100 Austin, Texas 78744 (512)901-0900 ext. 6912 ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edumailto:Histonet@lists.utsouthweste rn.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edumailto:Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern .edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___
Re: [Histonet] another Movats question (paraffin)
What happens if you skip the ammonium hydroxide? Peggy Wenk -Original Message- From: Molinari, Betsy Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 7:45 AM To: Lee Peggy Wenk ; Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: [Histonet] another Movats question (paraffin) Hi Peggy, No, this is a batch I have been using since 12/12. I purchased it from Sigma. It seems faint after the ammonium hydroxide . I did a run yesterday and I did get some blue, but faintly, not as bright as I am used to seeing. Everything else was picture perfect. Ray suggested that it may be a change in my tap water. I have our current report and am waiting on the report before that one. I am doing another run today and am considering rinsing in DH2O after the Alcian Blue and ammonium hydroxide. What do you think? Betsy - Betsy Molinari Senior Histology Research Technician 832-355-6524 | bmolin...@texasheart.org | www.texasheart.org 6770 Bertner Ave., MC 1-283, Houston, TX 77030 Confidentiality Notice: This message may be confidential and/or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient you may not review, disseminate or copy this e-mail, its contents and/or any attachments. Please immediately notify the sender If you have received this e-mail in error and delete it from your computer system. - -Original Message- From: Lee Peggy Wenk [mailto:lpw...@sbcglobal.net] Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 6:40 PM To: Molinari, Betsy Subject: Re: [Histonet] another Movats question (paraffin) Any chance this is a new batch of alcian blue? From where did you purchase it? I have a theory, but would like some more information first. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Lee Peggy Wenk -Original Message- From: Molinari, Betsy Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 11:47 AM To: Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] another Movats question (paraffin) Hi, The Alcian Blue in my Movats is very faint or seems to completely disappear. I have been running Movats for years and this is a new problem. I have checked lot #’s everything is the same. The solution is 1% pH 2.7. The slides are in solution for 20 mins, rinse for 5 mins in tap H2O, then in alkaline alcohol (90 ml 95% 10 ml ammonium hydroxide) for 1 hr then rinsed for 10 mins. But after hematoxylin the blue is either gone or very faint. Any suggestions? Thanks, Betsy Molinari HT(ASCP) Texas Heart Institute Cardiovascular Pathology 6770 Bertner Ave. Houston , TX 77030 832-355-6524 (lab) 832-355-6812 (fax) http://www.texasheart.org Betsy Molinari Senior Histology Research Technician 832-355-6524 | bmolin...@texasheart.orgmailto:bmolin...@texasheart.org | www.texasheart.orghttp://www.texasheart.org 6770 Bertner Ave., MC 1-283, Houston, TX 77030 [Texas Heart Institute][THI News]https://secure3.convio.net/thi/site/SPageNavigator/GlobalSiteOptInPage.html [THI on Facebook] http://www.facebook.com/Texas.Heart.Institute [THI on Flicker] http://www.flickr.com/photos/texasheart/sets/ [THI on Google] https://plus.google.com/u/0/118043615690351997044/posts [THI on Pinterest] http://pinterest.com/texasheartinst/ [THI on Twitter] http://twitter.com/Texas_Heart [THI on You Tube] http://www.youtube.com/TexasHeartInstitute Confidentiality Notice: This message may be confidential and/or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient you may not review, disseminate or copy this e-mail, its contents and/or any attachments. Please immediately notify the sender If you have received this e-mail in error and delete it from your computer system. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Extra Money
I don't suppose you want to hear this, but several people are working extra jobs. Lee Wenk (not Peggy). -Original Message- From: Sarah Dysart Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 5:05 PM To: Rene J Buesa ; joelle weaver ; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: [Histonet] Extra Money I plan on doing a poster for NSH...does that count =) Sarah Goebel-Dysart, BA, HT(ASCP), QIHC (ASCP) Histotechnologist Mirna Therapeutics 2150 Woodward Street Suite 100 Austin, Texas 78744 (512)901-0900 ext. 6912 From: Rene J Buesa [mailto:rjbu...@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 3:37 PM To: joelle weaver; Sarah Dysart; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: Re: [Histonet] Extra Money Not even that! If you publish you will build a better c.v. but that is not assurance tof being appreciated by any prospective employer. In the rare event that it is appreciated you will be able to negotiate a better salary, but that is all! René J. From: joelle weaver joellewea...@hotmail.com To: Sarah Dysart sdys...@mirnarx.com; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 4:31 PM Subject: RE: [Histonet] Extra Money Publish Joelle Weaver MAOM, HTL (ASCP) QIHC From: sdys...@mirnarx.commailto:sdys...@mirnarx.com To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edumailto:histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Date: Wed, 29 May 2013 20:20:10 + Subject: [Histonet] Extra Money Anyone know any ideas on how to make a couple extra bucks a month using our histology-awesomeness?? Sarah Goebel-Dysart, BA, HT(ASCP), QIHC (ASCP) Histotechnologist Mirna Therapeutics 2150 Woodward Street Suite 100 Austin, Texas 78744 (512)901-0900 ext. 6912 ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edumailto:Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edumailto:Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] CAP question
CAP does not put any number as to how much CE is required for working techs. Just that there is a CE program (54200), and that there is a record of CE in the personnel records (54400, #6). GEN.54200 Continuing Education Phase I There is a functional continuing clinical laboratory education program adequate to meet the needs of all personnel. Evidence of Compliance: Written policy for continuing laboratory education GEN.54400 Personnel Records Phase II Personnel files are maintained on all current technical personnel and personnel records include all of the following items. 1. Summary of training and experience 2. Copy of academic degree or transcript 3. License, if required by state 4. Certification, if required by state or employer 5. Description of current duties and responsibilities as specified by the laboratory director: a) Procedures the individual is authorized to perform, b) Whether supervision is required for specimen processing, test performance or result reporting, c) Whether supervisory or director review is required to report patient test results 6. Records of continuing education 7. Records of radiation exposure where applicable (such as with in vivo radiation testing), but not required for low exposure levels such as certain in-vitro testing 8. Work-related incident and/or accident records 9. Dates of employment However, the CMP (Competency Maintenance programP of ASCP says, if you are a certified tech (certified on or after Jan. 1, 2004), you need 36 hours CE every 3 years, to maintain your certification. http://ascp.org/PDF/BOC-PDFs/CMP/CMPBooklet.aspx Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Health System Royal Oak, MI 48073 The opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect my place of employment. -Original Message- From: Madeline Gi Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 4:20 PM To: Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] CAP question I have a question which was asked before but I don't remember the answer, how many CEU's are required by CAP for a histologist in New York City. Thanks in advance Madeline Rotger Milanese H.T. BSHCS 500 New Hempstead Rd. New City N.Y. 10965 845-362-3200 Ext 129 madelin...@yahoo.com ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Unsubscribe
For everyone needing to unsubscribe over the summer months while on vacation, or just because . . . keep this email handy. Go to the bottom of any email. The last line is an internet address - starts with http://has the word mailman in it. Click on the link. Scroll to the bottom of the page in the new link. type in you email address where you receive the Histonet Click on unsubscribe. Follow any other directions. Peggy Wenk -Original Message- From: Thomas Jasper Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 8:28 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Unsubscribe ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Holzer method for glial fibers
Some time ago, someone asked what all the reagents in the Holzer stain were for, and John Kiernan made some guess (see in quotes below for his response to the PMA). If John KIernan is having to make educated guesses, the rest of us probably have NO IDEA. Added to that, I don't know anyone who does this stain anymore. If we need to demonstrate glial cells, everyone is doing IHC such as GFAP. John's response: I don't think there are answers, other than wild speculation, to your questions! A few statements can be made about the reagents, but they don't necessarily relate to Holzer's method. When a PMA solution is applied to a section its large anions stick to regions of protein that are permeable and rich in basic amino acids. (This happens in collagen, in trichrome methods.) PMA also makes insoluble pigment precipitates when mixed with cationic triphenylmethane dyes such as crystal violet. Non-aqueous PMA may have tissue affinity different from that of an aqueous solution. With the chemically related phosphotungstic acid, the solvent and other factors influence the tissue components that take up the metal when PTA is used as a contrast stain for EM (see Hayat 1993 Stains and Cytochemical Methods, various places in book). Back to my opinion: I'm really worried about some of the other reagents, and anyone who has to use them: - Chloroform - EXTREMELY flammable - Aniline oil - EXTREMELY carcinogenic (bladder cancer), and causes liver and hematopoetic damage Is there any way you can convince your instructor to let you do a stain that is still in use, clinically relevant, and SAFER!?!?!?!?! Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Program Director Schools of Histotechnology Beaumont Health System 3601 W. 13 Mile Road Royal Oak, MI 48073 Opinions expressed are my own, and do not reflect my place of employment. -Original Message- From: jesse andrade Sent: Sunday, May 05, 2013 7:25 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Holzer method for glial fibers I have a question about this method and the purpose of the phosphomolybdic acid-alcohol solution in this stain? I am astudent and need this for my staining procedure assignment. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Cresyl echt Violett for Nissl substance
Cresyl Echt Violet (CEV) is the pre-WWI name. After factories in Germany were bombed, the formulation for this stain was lost (that's the story I heard in the 70's). Closest companies since then have made is cresyl violet acetate (CVA), though for many decades, continued to call it CEV. Only recently (maybe last 10 years) have companies been calling it CVA, which is confusing to labs that need to order a 25 gram bottle once every 25 years. Here's how we make it up: CRESYL ECHT VIOLET Cresyl echt violet (Cresyl Violet Acetate)0.5 g Sodium acetate (CH3COONa3H2O)0.18 g Distilled water500.0 mL Acetic acid, concentrated (CH3COOH)1.5 mL (up to) Dissolve cresyl echt violet and sodium acetate in distilled water. Slowly add acetic acid, drop by drop, to solution. Should have a pH of 3.5. If solution pH is below 3.5, add more sodium acetate. If solution pH is above 3.5, add more acetic acid. Filter. Let stand overnight before using. Store at room temperature. Stable for months. May be reused until weak. Stain for 1-2 hours. Differentiate in 2 changes 95% alcohol, until background cytoplasm is clear (check with microscope). Run up through 2 changes 100% reagent alcohol, 2 changes xylene or substitute, coverslip. Nissl, RNA and DNA (nuclei) will be purple. To speed up differentiation, and to pull more out of the DNA/nuclei, add 2 drops of acetic acid conc. to the first 95% alcohol. It might be CI # 51180, but I don't have that info at home. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital 3601 W. 13 Mile Rd. Royal Oak, MI 48073 Opinions expressed by me to not represent my place of employment. -Original Message- From: Yaskovich, Ruth A (NIH/NIDCR) [E] Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2013 3:52 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Cresyl echt Violett for Nissl substance What is everyone using for this stain? Ruth Yaskovich N.I.H. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Isopentane storage-the polling is open
Definitely make it explosion-proof. See the following article by Robert Skinner in Sakura's Histo-Logic. http://www.sakura-americas.com/histologic/pdf/03_may.pdf He had an explosion in a freezer, when a researcher tried to store 50 mL (about $2.00) worth of isopentane in a regular freezer, and the lid on the container wasn't on tight enough. Fortunately, it was the middle of the night, and no one was in the room. The freezer door flew 12 feet, and there was lots of flames. See the photos! The article mentions the damage at $165,000, but I talked with Robert about a year later, and he said the total was over $1,000,000 when everything was factored in. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Health System Royal Oak, MI 48073 The opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect on my place of employment. -Original Message- From: Morken, Timothy Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 2:32 PM To: Paula Sicurello ; HistoNet Subject: RE: [Histonet] Isopentane storage-the polling is open Paula, we keep ours at room temp in a small flam cab near the muscle bench. We keep two gallons on hand. In Dapson Dapson's book Hazardous Materials in the Histopathology Laboratory (Anatech, 2005) they do not make any specific recommendations concerning storage temperature, except to say IF it is kept in the refrigerator/freezer use only an explosion-proof refrigerator/freezer. The flash point is -50C, so a fridge is not significantly different than room temp, unless your lab is often over 30C/85F (the boiling point!). Tim Morken Supervisor, Electron Microscopy/Neuromuscular Special Studies Department of Pathology UC San Francisco Medical Center -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Paula Sicurello Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 10:35 AM To: HistoNet Subject: [Histonet] Isopentane storage-the polling is open Hello HistoNetters, I have been having a discussion with my boss about whether or not to store the isopentane (used for freezing muscle biopsies) in the refrigerator. (An expensive, explosion proof one that I would have to buy.) Her only experience is with the isopentane stored in the refrigerator, my experiences are with storing it at room temperature. What do you all do? Room temp or refrigerated? Any and all comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks! Paula -- Paula Sicurello, HTL (ASCP) Supervisor, Clinical Electron Microscopy Laboratory Duke University Health System Rm.#251M, Duke South, Green Zone Durham, North Carolina 27710 P: 919.684.2091 ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Thioflavine S for Amyloid
Congo red is the gold standard for amyloid staining. It is the most sensitive of the amyloid stain, at about 97%. However, sometimes the Congo red will not stain the amyloid protein, such as when the amyloid is a large, very old deposit. In that case, more and more amyloid is being crammed into the same space, and the beta pleats become warped. For Congo red staining to work, the beta pleats must be consistently at a certain distance apart (7 um apart, if I remember correctly). Congo red is a linear dye, with 2 SO3- groups, one at each end. So it binds to the amyloid protein pleats, one dye right after another | | | | |, and that's why it will polarize. But if the beta pleats are not lining up | \ \ | \ / / | | \ /, then the Congo red, may not be able to bind, as the binding sites on the amyloid are not the correct distance apart. And it the Congo red can bind, it is not lining up | | | | |, but is binding in all directions, similar to the warped beta pleats. Therefore it will not birefringe/polarize. Overfixation in formalin will do the same thing, as there will be too many formalin cross-links, warping the beta pleats. Therefore, when it is suspected that the person really has amyloid, but the Congo red isn't working (remember, it's 97% sensitive, which means it's not demonstrating amyloid 3% of the time), it's good to have back ups, which we have used, and have been able to demonstrate amyloid when the Congo red doesn't work. Since the alternatives aren't as specific or sensitive for amyloid as Congo red, when we have to go to our backups, we tend to do all three, on the theory that even though they aren't as sensitive or specific, since they are all staining a different aspect of amyloid, and if all three are showing positivity, then it most be amyloid. Congo red, viewed with fluoresence microscope. Use the auramine-rhodamine AFB filters (hit it with 540 green light), and the Congo red-amyloid will fluoresce orange. Crystal violet or Methyl violet - polychromatic dyes that bind to carboxyl ions on amyloid. So one dye component stains the amyloid a violet color, while the other dye components stain the background a blue-purple. Need to use aqueous mounting media, so not a permanent stain. Not as sensitive (about 70%) or specific as Congo red. Will stain mucin. AL Amyloid also tends to have a lower concentration of surface carboxyl ions, so tends to have negative staining with the CV or MV stains. Thioflavin T (TFT) and Thioflaving S (TFS) are fluorochromes, so need a fluorescence miscroscope, blue light excitation at 490, similar to FITC, and these dyes will fluoresce yellow. These dyes appear to stain the P component on amyloid, which is a pentagonal shaped polysaccharide protein, which is a normal protein in our blood (alpha-globin), but for some reason attaches itself to amyloid. It's a fast stain, easy to do, very sensitive for amyloid. However, you do need a FITC fluoresence microscope, and since it's an aqueous mount, it's not permanent. It's not specific for amyloid, as other components will be stained and fluoresce yellow, or will autofluoresce yellow (such as elastin fibers, dense connective tissue, lipofuchsin, a lot of other granules). I've only used TFT, so I can't say if TFS is any better. So TFS is good for a back up, but I would continue with Congo red, or the Amyloid red from Anatech, to be the primary amyloid stain. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Health Systems Royal Oak, MI 48073 Opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect on my place of employment. -Original Message- From: Mitchell Jean A Sent: Friday, April 12, 2013 2:20 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Thioflavine S for Amyloid Would appreciated some feedback/input from labs using Thioflavine S staining protocol for amyloid screening. Any advantages/disadvantages to this procedure vs Congo Red? Thanks much!! Jean Mitchell, BS HT (ASCP) University of Wisconsin Hospital Clinics Neuromuscular Laboratory 600 Highland Avenue Madison, WI 53792-5132 ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] How to unsubscribe
Go to the bottom of any email from Histonet. Under the header “Histonet Subscribers” – go to the 2nd non-italics line that starts “To unsubscribe from Histonet . . . “ - type in your email address where you are receiving the listserv emails - click on “unsubscribe” - follow rest of directions Also works for when you are going away on vacation – we don’t want to see “sorry, I’m out of the office” for the next week. So save this email on your computer, unsubscribe when you go on vacation, re-subscribe when you return. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Best Carmine stain
If you are looking for glycogen - so a PAS. More sensitive and a deeper magenta color than the Best Carmine. Curious, what is without water? - The Frozen section? But there's water in the cells, which is what is freezing. - The stain?? But most stains are made in water (aqueous stains). Why do you need no water? Peggy Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Kiranjit Grewal Sent: Saturday, March 16, 2013 11:39 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Best Carmine stain Hello, Any tips on doing Best Carmine on Frozen sections without water. Can we use mucicarmine solution to pick up glycogen in heart muscle? Thank u, Kiran Sent from my iPhone ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Alizarin Red S Staining Protocol
We always used a 2% Alizarin red S (never tried it with 1%. I'm guessing that you would just have to leave it in longer.) We pH it to 4.1-4.3 with 0.5% ammonium hydroxide. I don't remember what the pH is when we begin, but note, we're adding a BASE to bring the pH up to ~4.2. So alizarin red S must be fairly acidic when dissolved in water. I was told that this is a chelating solution for soft metals. It therefore is not a specific stain for calcium, as it will also stain magnesium, manganese, barium, and strontium. However, these metals are usually not in very high concentrations. But to make it more specific for calcium, a pH of 4.1-4.3 is recommended. I've never done this stain on cell cultures, only on formalin fixed, paraffin embedded, 5 um thick sections. And we find that staining between 1-2 minutes works the best. This is a very sensitive stain. The longer the slide is left in the solution, the more and more the alizarin red S stains the background, to the point that it becomes difficult to tell positive calcium from background staining. Every cell has calcium in it (think membrane transport), and eventually, all the cells are going to pick up background orange color, not just the lesions with calcium. You mention extraction with acetic acid. Extracting what? Are you trying to extract the background staining? I don't know if that will work. This is a chelating agent . . . the CLAW! Once chelating agents hook up with the metal, they don't let go. I just don't happen to know if acid will disrupt this chelating bond. So it would be better to cut the time way down (try 1-2 minutes, see how it looks), and don't have so much background staining to begin with. Let us know how it turns out. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Health System Royal Oak, MI 48073 Opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect upon my place of employment. -Original Message- From: Tighe,Sean T Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 4:48 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Alizarin Red S Staining Protocol Good afternoon, In the past I have been using a 40mM Alizarin Red S Solution from Millipore to stain my cell cultures but I am now seeking an alternative. I plan on preparing fresh Alizarin Red S by adding the powder to 100ml of distilled water. In reviewing the literature, I have come across many labs using 1% ARS or 2% ARS and I am not sure if this concentration significantly matters. Furthermore, I understand some people use McGee-Russell's procedure using a pH of ~4.2 whereas others use Dahl's procedure using a pH of ~6.3. However using a pH of 4.2 seems illogical to me as this could remove some calcium from the monolayer. Currently I plan on fixing the cells with 4% Paraformaldehyde in PBS (pH 7) for 15 minutes, washing twice with water and then staining the cells with 2% ARS in water (pH 6.3). Do you see any problems with this? Also, should I stain for 5 minutes or roughly an hour with the ARS dye? I have had some problems with extracting this dye in the past. The 10% acetic acid does not seem to remove all of the dye and the results are variable. Note: before I extract the cells with acetic acid I wash the cells four times with water. Regards, Sean Tighe ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] QIHC
Just to let everyone know - the Michigan Society of Histotechnologists have put together a Study Guide/Workbook, geared to help those studying for the QIHC. It is a workbook, where you have to look up the information in books, and write it in the booklet. There are no answers provided (it's not a multiple choice question book, it's writing out definitions and how procedures work). This workbook is tries to cover all the areas on the exam, as listed on the ASCP BOC QIHC exam content outline. It is to help people get organized in their studying. $20. For more information, go to the MSH webpage: www.mihisto.org Click on Education Click on Study Guides Print out the order form at the bottom. Disclosure statement: I am a member of MSH. I do not receive any money from the sale of the QIHC Study Guide. Any money made (after printing and mailing costs) goes to support MSH. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Renee H. Workman Sent: Friday, March 01, 2013 11:26 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] QIHC I will be taking the QIHC soon has anyone taken it recently. I lost my QIHC when I changed jobs and want to get it back. Renee H. Workman W: 804-527-1316 | F: 804-270-0917 rhwork...@uro.commailto:rhwork...@uro.com | www.uro.comhttp://www.uro.com/ Disclaimer: The email and files transmitted with it are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the original recipient or the person responsible for the delivering the email to the intended recipient, be advised that you have received this email in error, and that any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing or copying of this email is strictly prohibited. If you received this email in error, please delete it from your system without copying it, and notify the sender by reply email so that our address record can be corrected. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] RESCUING UNDER DECALCIFIED BONE FROM PARAFFIN EMBEDDEDBLOCKS
Can you surface decal? After facing the block on the microtome, getting a full face, pour some decalcification fluid in the lid of a coplin jar. Place the block faced side down in the decal solution, for about 30 minutes. Rinse the acid off the block with some cool water (don't want acid dripping on the microtome blade holder and blade). Line the block up exactly on the microtome to the knife. The first 2-4 sections will be decalcified enough for you to cut. (That's why the block has to be lined up exactly - can't waste rough trimming off the 10-20 um of decalcified tissue.) Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Health System Royal Oak, MI 48073 The opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect on my place of employment. -Original Message- From: Fiona J Morrow Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2013 8:59 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] RESCUING UNDER DECALCIFIED BONE FROM PARAFFIN EMBEDDEDBLOCKS Hi Has anyone ever tried to reprocess bone tissue that has been under decalcified and processed through to wax? Thanks Fi M Fiona Morrow Dept. of Infection and Immunity KFloor, Room K118 Medical School University of Sheffield Beech Hill Road Sheffield S10 2RX 0114 271 2102 f.mor...@sheffield.ac.uk ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Unencased Ameoba Stain
Getting back a little late (been out of state). If this is Acanthamoeba, then we do a PASH and/or a GMS. These are cysts, and show up nicely with both. The cornea can be PAS positive also, so the Acanthamoeba are a darker pink against a lighter pink, while the GMS is gray/black against the green background. It looks a lot like pneumocystis with a GMS, but without the bull's eye, and about 2-3 times larger. But it's the cyst wall that is staining with the PAS and the GMS, as the cyst has a lot of glycogen. But you are asking for unencased amoeba. So that sounds like no cyst. Are you looking for just the trophozoites? I would suggest one of the Giemsa stains, or maybe a Brown and Hopps. A cresyl echt violet (actually cresyl violet acetate, but everyone still calls it by it's old name), would probably also work - I read about it in the NSH Journal of Histotechnology about 20 years ago for the trophozoites of pneumocystis, but I've never tried the stain. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Health System Royal Oak, MI 48073 The opinions expressed are mine, and do not represent BHS. -Original Message- From: Joseph Brooks Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 11:12 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Unencased Ameoba Stain Hello All, One of our Neuropath docs is inquiring about a special stain for unencased ameobas in cornea biopsies. I did a search and Gridley's Method was the best option that appreaded. Is there someone that could either verify this stain will work on this organism or let me know what you stain you are using? Thanks in advance. Matt Brooks ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] interview
(Quoted material taken from various ASCP BOC (Board of Certification) webpages.) FIRST: make certain they meet the ASCP HT criteria. If it they are truly doing the OJT route: Route 2: At least 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of academic credit from a regionally accredited college/university, with a combination of 12 semester hours (18 quarter hours) of biology and chemistry (must include credit hours in both), or an associate degree from a regionally accredited college/university, with a combination of 12 semester hours (18 quarter hours) of biology and chemistry(must include credit hours in both), AND one year full time acceptable experience in a histopathology (clinical, veterinary, industry or research) laboratory in the U.S., Canada or an accredited laboratory* within the last ten years. *Laboratory accredited by a CMS approved accreditation organization (i.e., AABB, CAP, COLA, DNV, The Joint Commission, etc.). NOTE: FOR U.S. CERTIFICATION THE JOINT COMMISSION INTERNATIONAL (JCI) IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. SECOND: you also say they are willing to do an online training. If that is through a NAACLS-accredited HT program, then the ASCP HT criteria is: Route 1: Successful completion of a NAACLS accredited Histotechnician program within the last 5 years prior to the date of application for examination; So, you need to contact each of the NAACLS programs that offer on-line programs (there's 4-6 of them), and find out what their requirements are. High school graduates, some college, so many college credits, what type and number of biology, chemistry and math requirements, etc. Then you need to make it very clear who is paying (them, the lab, some of both) the thousands of dollars of tuition, buying the books, how much time you will give them each week to work on homework projects (collecting tissue, doing stains, you monitoring them taking exams, etc.). I would have them sign a contract about being a trainee and earning less money than the minimum starting wage until they pass the ASCP HT exam, and then they get a raise to the minimum. And in the contract, if your lab it helping to pay for the tuition or book, that they agree to stay at least, say, 2 years after passing the HT exam, or else they have to pay the lab back some of the money the lab spent on training them (prorated, to amount of time they stayed past the time they passed the ASCP exam). THIRD: If this is a true OJT, notice the one year full time acceptable experience. You say this is a part-time position, so 1 year of part time does not equal one year full time. This following is from the ASCP BOC webpage. Full-time experience is defined as a minimum of thirty-five (35) hours per week. Individuals who have part-time experience may be permitted to utilize prorated part-time experience to meet the work experience requirements. For example, if you are employed 20 hours per week for one year, your experience would be computed as 20 divided by 35 multiplied by 52 weeks, or the equivalent of 29.7 weeks of full time employment. My concern is your requirement of them taking and passing the ASCP HT exam in 2 years. It might take 2 years for them to earn enough working hours to equal 1 year full time experience. I would suggest that you tell them they must take and pass the HT ASCP exam within 1 year of becoming eligible. If they fail, they can take the exam again in the next quarter (4x/year). If they haven't passed it after 4 attempts, odd are they are not going to pass it. Or if they bother trying again every 3 months, well, that says something about their character also. FOURTH: for your interview questions - open questions. No yes/no. - tell me about a time you . . . are great questions. Anyone can make up something that sounds good if they are asked what would you do if . . .. But asking them to talk about a time when they had to handle a situation gives you an insight into what they did, why, and what they learned from it. And you can keep asking Why or What factors contributed or What would you do differently or What did you learn from this or Tell more more about that time, etc. Don't take oh, that never happened to me. Oh, yes, all of these have. There are no right answers - it's about what THEY did or how THEY handled a situation. And you can tell them this, to reassure them. What you don't tell them are there are some wrong answers - at least ones that you don't want, such as someone saying that everyone they have ever worked with is an idiot, or all their bosses have been incompetent. Some good ideas for questions: Tell me about a time at work (or, at school if they are recently out of school without a lot of work experience) that you . . . - were part of a team (role, contribution, etc.) - dealt with conflict with a coworker or supervisor - worked someplace when the team had a problem working together, or getting the work done effectively/efficiently. - dealt with an
Re: [Histonet] Multi cassette bases
How about a HT or HTL program in Florida? Programs always need help with expenses. (For others who might have supplies or equipment to donate to HT/HTL programs, go to www.naacls.org -- on left, click on search, then click on HT or HTL and the state. If you are a non-profit hospital, get a letter from the program acknowledging the donation (eg., how many boxes of cassettes, and the cost). To remain non-profit, institutions must show that they are contributing to the community - health fairs, talks at clubs or schools, donation of supplies, etc. So submit the letter to whoever in your institution has to keep track of contributions.) HT Florida State College at Jacksonville North Campus 4501 Capper Road Jacksonville, FL 32202 Mr. Jerry Santiago MSEd, BS, HTL(ASCP)QIHC (904) 244-6129 HT Miami Dade College Medical Center Campus 950 NW 20th St Miami, FL 33127-4693 Ms. Caridad Ivis Gutierrez MAEd, BS, HTL(ASCP) (305) 237-4231 HT Keiser University 5600 Lake Underhill Rd. Orlando, FL 32807- Ms. Tracy Rosati MS, HT(ASCP) (407) 273-5800 HT Keiser University - Pembroke Pines 12520 Pines Boulevard Pembroke Pines, FL 33027- Ms. Galina Negrouk MS, HTL(ASCP) (954) 431-4300 ext. 164 HTL Barry University 11300 Northeast Second Avenue Miami Shores, FL 33161-6695 Dr. Gerhild Packert PhD (305) 899-3220 Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP) Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 Lee Peggy Wenk -Original Message- From: Bodden, Cheryl Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2013 3:42 AM To: 'histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu' Subject: [Histonet] Multi cassette bases I have a large surplus supply of Leica Multi Cassette Bases (catalog # 2238) in every color. I wanted to find out if anybody out there could use these. Cheryl Bodden University of South Florida Dermpath Lab ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] workbook for preparation for the QIHC
Towards the bottom of the MSH webpage on study guides available through MSH, is a link for the application form. www.mihisto.org click on Education click on Study Guides Peggy Wenk -Original Message- From: Ellen Yee Sent: Monday, December 10, 2012 6:26 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] workbook for preparation for the QIHC Hi, I tried the Michigan Society for Histotechnologists, but when I clicked on the workbook, was unable to get anything. How can I get in touch with them? Ellen Yee Diagnostic Pathology Medical Group Sacramento, CA 916-448-5873 e...@dpmginc.com ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Alcian Blue
I think the key phrase was that the pathologists expected a small amount of cells to stain in the esophagus biopsy. If your control has a lot of acid mucopolysaccharides (AMP) in it (such as using a normal intestine, or lung with bronchus), then 10 minutes in Alcian blue would definitely show positivity in the goblet cells or mucin cells, of which there are a lot of goblet cells in the intestine and mucin cells in the bronchus, and each goblet/mucin cell has a lot of AMP. If on the other hand, there are only a few cells, and particularly if each of the cells has a minimum amount of AMP (common in dysplastic or cancerous conditions), then 30 minutes in Alcian Blue would be better to demonstrate minimal number of cells or minimal amounts of AMP. Use 30 minutes staining time for Alcian blue all the time, to help find the minimal number of cells and/or minimal amounts of AMP. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP) Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 Opinions expressed do not reflect upon Beaumont Hospital. -Original Message- From: Sheila Adey Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2012 8:58 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Alcian Blue Hi Everyone: Can anyone tell me why some Alcian blue procedures say 30 min in Alcian Blue and some say 10 min?Our control works well at 10 minutes but today I had a Dr. say that he expected a small amount of cells to stain and they didn't in an esophagus bx.So, now I'm wondering if b/c most of the procedures that I've read say 30 min, that's what would be best? Thanks Sheila ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] chemical disposal
Where most people get confused is theBiological Hazard. They think - this chemical would hurt a human being, it would damage someone's skin if splashed on it, it would injure someone's lungs if inhaled, it could cause cancer with long exposure, etc. Since it's hurting a person, it must be a biological hazard. Nope. Biological hazard means that the solution contains a biologically active microorganism (bacteria, fungus, virus, parasite) or a prion - all of which could infect the person using the solution if not handled correctly. (Fresh tissue would be a possible biological hazard, since we don't know what, if anything, that tissue is infected with. Same with a frozen section. If tissue is properly fixed and processed, that would kill the microorganism, so the tissue is no longer a biological hazard. Prions need special treatment with formic acid.) If the material is a chemical (solvent, dye, bleach, soap, toner cartridges that leak, etc.), then it is a Chemical Hazard. This would include the DAB. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 The opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect on Beaumont Hospital. -Original Message- From: Cynthia Pyse Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 3:44 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] chemical disposal Quick question for Histoland. I am having a debate about DAB disposal. Our general manager ( non lab background) insists that the liquid DAB can go into a biological hazardous waste. I disagree, it is a chemical and needs to be disposed in the chemical hazardous waste. What is everyone else doing to dispose of DAB. We are located in NY, I do have those regs. Thanks in advance for any and all help. Cindy Cindy Pyse, CLT, HT (ASCP) Laboratory Manager X-Cell Laboratories 20 Northpointe Parkway Suite 100 Amherst, NY 14228 716-250-9235 etx. 232 e-mail cp...@x-celllab.com ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] unsubscribing for Thanksgiving
If you want to unsubscribe permanently , OR If you are going away for Thanksgiving and are setting your computer for “I’m not here” (which all the Histonetters do not need to know), please unsubscribe. Go to the bottom of any Histonet email, from the computer you are receiving the Histonet emails. There are 2 links. Click on the link that has the words “mailman/listinfo” towards the end. A new page pops up. Scroll to the bottom under “Histonet Subscribers” Under “unsubscribe”, type in your email address and hit unsubscribe. (That’s are far as I’m going, so I don’t know if there are any other instruction, but at least you are on the right page.) Go back to this page to re-subscribe when you want to (see right above “unsubscribe”.). Peggy Wenk ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Looking to Work
NSH has a jobs board - jobs available, and a place for histotechs to post their information. Start there. http://www.jobtarget.com/home/home.cfm?site_id=8282 Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 -Original Message- From: Ali A Krasht Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2012 3:10 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Looking to Work Hi All I just got layoff by the company I was working for. I worked as a Histologist/ Supervisor for over 10 years. If anyone is hiring in the Frisco or Dallas Texas area, please let me know. If you need more information or want to know my qualifications please check my LinkedIn Profile. www.linkedin.com/in/alikrasht www.linkedin.com/in/alikrasht === Omnipath Diagnostics Texas, Frisco, Texas 2008 - 2012 Histologist / Supervisor Ameripath (Dermpath Diagnostics Cockerell Associates), Dallas, Texas 2004 - 2008 Histotechnologist / Histologist Analytical Food Laboratories, Grand Prairie, Texas 2003-2004 Microbiologist Regards Ali A. Krasht http://NovellTrade.com http://NovoJeans.com 214 444 8319 The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain proprietary, business-confidential and/or privileged material. If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are hereby notified that any use, review, retransmission, dissemination, distribution, reproduction or any action taken in reliance upon this message is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of the company. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Disposal of used lab equipment
Email has been down for several days, so if someone has already answered this, sorry. If anyone wants to donate used (in working order) equipment to a NAACLS-accredited histotech program, it would be appreciated. Also any supplies that you are no longer using (dry dye powdered because you have gone automated, cassettes because they don't fit your new labeler or you no longer use that color, etc.). You can ask the Schools to write you out a receipt, and you can say how much the equipment or supplies are worth. At our hospital, as a non-profit, we are to donate to the community - man hours, supplies, copying, etc. for things like career days, job fairs, donating used equipment to World Relief, etc. We have a form on line that we can fill out. Here's the search site for NAACLS programs. Under Program Type, highlight either HT or HTL. You can put in a specific state, or your can leave it as All. http://naacls.org/search/programs.asp Remember, it has to be in good condition and usable. Schools don't have money to begin with, and definitely do not have money to dispose of someone else's junk. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 -Original Message- From: Joe W. Walker, Jr. Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2012 3:09 PM To: dingers...@aplaboratories.com ; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: [Histonet] Disposal of used lab equipment I don't know the type of equipment you are talking about but have you considered donating to a histotech school? Or even a high school that might be interested in taking their dissecting class to the next level? Joe W. Walker, Jr. MS, SCT(ASCP)CM Anatomical Pathology Manager Rutland Regional Medical Center 160 Allen Street, Rutland, VT 05701 P: 802.747.1790 F: 802.747.6525 NEW EMAIL: joewal...@rrmc.org www.rrmc.org Our Vision: To be the Best Community Healthcare System in New England Rutland Regional…Vermont’s 1st Hospital to Achieve Both ANCC Magnet Recognition® and the Governor’s Award for Performance Excellence -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of dingers...@aplaboratories.com Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2012 2:35 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Disposal of used lab equipment We have upgraded some of our equipment in recent months and repla�d some VERY OLD equipment that is just taking up space now. =A I have contacted some of the used equipment man=acturers and no one is interested in taking this equipment off our hands. My question is how do you dispose = used histology equipment. I don't know if our local landfill will =ke it. Is there a service out there who will come haul it away? I appreciate any feedback. = Donna S. Ingersoll, B.S., HTL, CT(ASCP) n=p; ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet This message (and any included attachments) is from Rutland Regional Health Services and is intended only for the addressee(s). The information contained herein may include privileged or otherwise confidential information. Unauthorized review, forwarding, printing, copying, distributing, or using such information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you received this message in error, or have reason to believe you are not authorized to receive it, please promptly delete this message and notify the sender by e-mail. Thank You ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] cutting bone with metal
Talk with Jack Ratliff, Chair of the NSH Hard Tissue Committee. Jack L. Ratliff 615-236-4901 ratliffj...@gmail.com The answer is Yes, histologic sections can be made, but need plastic resins (methyl methracylate or glycol methacrylate or something similar) and special microtomes and knives. If the researcher's lab doesn't do this technique, Jack can let him know who does, and the tissue can be sent out to the specialty lab. Paraffin blocks on regular histology microtomes won't cut it - literally and figuratively. Peggy Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 The opinions expressed are my own, and do not reflect on Beaumont Hospital. -Original Message- From: Jennifer MacDonald Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2012 11:38 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] cutting bone with metal I have been asked the following question. I do not have an answer and was hoping someone in the Histonet community did. Thanks. There is a researcher who is doing orthopedic procedures on broken rat tibias. The researcher is repairing the tibias with metal rods or plates…not sure which (and the doctor isn't sure what kind of metal either). The researcher wants to know if it is possible to make histologic sections of the repaired tibias with the metal intact ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] Unsubscribe if going to NSH
If you are going to NSH, please UNSUBSCRIBE from HistoNet, rather than having all of us get “I’m away from the office” notices on every HistoNet email sent to you. Go to the bottom of any HistoNet email, such as this one. - Click on the bottom line, which starts out http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu . . . - Scroll to the bottom, under “HistoNet Subscribers”, under the line that starts “To unsubscribe from Histonet. . . “, type in your email address that you receive your HistoNet email. - Click on “Unsubscribe or Edit Options” I’m not going any further than this right now, so you are on your own to follow the rest of the directions to unsubscribe. Re-subscribe when you get back. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Acid-cleaning of slides for metals stains
For most histology demonstration of iron or copper, we are not doing a quantitative analysis (exactly how much is in the tissue). We are usually just demonstrating yes there is iron or copper, or no there is not. In the case of hemosiderosis, hemochromatosis, or Wilson's disease, we might be documenting there is a LOT of iron or copper, but we're don't demonstrating a specific amount. If this is what you are doing (yes/no), then if your d. water (either deionized or distilled) has practically no iron or copper in it, there is no need to acid-clean glassware or the slides, as long as you do the following: 1) Use the slides as they are from the box. 2) Wash the coplin jars in hot water with soap and bleach (or other commercial cleaner). After rinsing in hot tap water several times (3-4), rinse in d. water several times (3-4). To test to see if all the soap and bleach (or cleaner) has been rinsed off completely, touch a pH strip to the wet inside of the coplin jar. If the pH turns acidic or basic, then there is still soap and/or commercial cleaner in it. Keep rinsing in d. water until pH meter remains neutral. 3) Test your d. water once in a while for contaminants. A company called HACH has a lot of kits for this, relatively cheap. Can test for resistivity or conductivity, which will tell you how many ions are in the water. If there are very few, then don't bother testing for which ones (unless you HAVE to do the quantitative testing of minerals/metals). If there are a lot of ions, then you might want to find out which ones, either by sending out to an outside testing company, or buying some of Hach's tests for copper or iron (since this is what you are concerned about). Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 The opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect one Beaumont Hospital. -Original Message- From: Esther C Peters Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2012 3:20 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Acid-cleaning of slides for metals stains We are going to do special stains for iron (Perl's Prussian Blue for ferric iron, Mallory's Method from WebPath: Internet Pathology Laboratory) and copper (Rhodanine from Carson and Hladik) in mouse livers. We have on hand unopened boxes of plus-charged microscope slides. Do we need to acid clean these slides before we put sections on them for these stains (understanding that the charge will no longer exist, but the cleaning is more important for these stains)? I would also appreciate any insights about the best acid-cleaning procedure for all glassware for these stains. I have used nitric acid in the past, swirling it around the staining dishes and covering glass racks in a staining dish (how long should this be for?), then rinsing with double-deionized water (or would you recommend distilled only?). Thank you! Esther C. Peters, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Environmental Science Policy Biology Program/Medical Technology Coordinator George Mason University 4400 University Drive, MSN 5F2 Fairfax, VA 22030- Office: David King Hall 3057 Phone: 703-993-3462 Fax: 703-993-1066 epete...@gmu.edu ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] RE: mouse testis in Bouins
From CDC - not quite a lab, but in Jan. 2002, this company was melting down the plastic from around capacitors, to regain the metals inside, by putting the capacitors in a heavy metal pot with acid, and leaving it overnight. The next day, the person went to remove the metal lid from the metal pot. Picric acid had formed, and a large explosion occurred. Look at the photos of the pot, and at the remains of the concrete building with a roof. 1 person killed, 1 severely injured, 5 others also injured. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/nj/02nj003.html Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS William Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 The views expressed are mine, and do not reflect on the hospital -Original Message- From: E. Wayne Johnson Sent: Friday, September 14, 2012 8:58 PM To: Jackie O'Connor Cc: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: Re: [Histonet] RE: mouse testis in Bouins What danger of Picric Acid are you concerned with? Surely its not the hyped explosion hazards. We use picric acid and as inquisitive boys we have tried very hard to ignite it thinking it would be fun. We dried some down and wrapped it in aluminum foil and with appropriate protection outdoors beat it with a hammer. So very disappointing. We only made it flat. We tried heating some. It does burn pretty good but not really dramatically. We tried purifying and recrystallizing it and it still didnt do anything spectacular. Our conclusion that as fireworks, pure picric acid is pretty much a dud. I have done some reading about picric acid and it seems that in lab conditions a picric acid explosion is very unlikely maybe impossible even if the stuff is very dry indeed. We do keep our picric acid wet in a safe spot for storage. Some metal salts of picric acid are said to be much more sensitive. We havent made any lead picrate to play with since we are worried about aerosolizing the lead when it does explode or flash. There are some youtube movies about how to make explosive derivatives of picric acid. it seems that picric acid is just not a very good explosive, and that small amounts in free open air are unlikely to explode. I have been unable to find any reference to any lab accidents with picric acid. Does anyone have any information to the contrary? On 9/15/2012 7:55 AM, Jackie O'Connor wrote: As a GLP tox lab, we have done away with using Bouin's altogether - there is literature out there (somewhere - not handy now) that indicates Modified Davidson's fixative provides the same testicular detail of bouins, without the picric acid danger. We switched about 3-4 years ago, and our testicle experts are happy. I believe most labs are getting away from Bouins. Jackie O' -Original Message- From: Frances Elizabeth Barronfbar...@stanford.edu To: histonethistonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Sent: Fri, Sep 14, 2012 12:21 pm Subject: [Histonet] RE: mouse testis in Bouins Hi Margaret, Our protocol for whole mouse embryos E14.5-E18.5 was to fix in Bouin's for 5-7 days at room temp (I have gone longer, but it isn't exactly recommended). Most of the length of time, however, was to compensate for the large tissue size and need for good penetration. I'm not sure how that converts to your particular tissue of interest. For long term storage, John Shelton at UT Southwestern (who did our vacuum processing for large embryos) told me that it was preferred to put them in 1% neutral buffered formalin and store them at room temp. We had previously been storing them in 70% EtOH, but John said that the long exposure to EtOH leads to excessive drying of the tissue and ultimately brittleness if used later. I'm assuming this thought could be applied to any tissue piece, but I don't have enough experience to really know. We have successfully gotten beautiful paraffin sections from 3mo-1year samples that have been stored this way. I'm hoping this will be of some help to you, and perhaps others in the list can comment. Best of luck, ~Francie *** Francie Barron, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow, Joseph Wu Lab Stanford University School of Medicine Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building 265 Campus Drive, Room G1105 Stanford, CA 94305-5454 Phone: (650) 724-5564 or (650) 724-9240 Fax: (650) 736-0234 *** Message: 7 Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2012 10:06:33 -0300 From: Margaret Hornemho...@upei.ca Subject: [Histonet] mouse testis in Bouins To:histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Message-ID:505301a902d100018...@oes-grpwise.novell.upei.ca Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hello Everyone, I am asking this for a friend. How long can mouse testis be kept in Bouins without distortion of cell morphology? Days? weeks? months? years? I noticed in the Archives that many people fix in Bouins , rinse, then store in 70% EtOH. This is preferable I assume. Again, how long is ok? Thanks in advance for
[Histonet] slide dryer
Looking for a small slide dryer, used preferably, for our School of Histotechnology. Not a lot of counter space. Only 6 students, so don’t have a lot of racks at any given time. We have an old Shandon-Lipshaw rectangle metal “box”slide dryer right now, but the insulation is going on it, so we need to get a new slide dryer. The drying chamber is about 10” x 7”, with the motor/heater towards the back after that. Do NOT have the money or space for one of the new “round” slide dryers with the see through top. Do NOT want a slide warmer that looks like a long hot plate, as we have too many slides all at once for that. Vendors, or anyone with an idea of where I can get a small rectangular slide dryer – please contact me at work at pw...@beaumont.edu Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] HT exam
In the past, there were 3 routes (in short version): - minimum associate degree (or 60 credit hours) with 12 credit hours of biology and chemistry combined with 1 year on-the-job-training (OJT) - high school diploma plus 2 years OJT - completion of a NAACLS accredited histotechnology program As of January 2, 2005, the high school route was eliminated (so 2004 was the last year allowed for those with less than the associate degree/60 credit hours to take the high school route). The other 2 routes remain. FYI - ASCP, NSH and state histology societies started announcing/publishing this information non-stop for 5 years previous to the Jan 2005 date, that the high school route would be eliminated, leaving only the minimum associate degree and the NAACLS program routes. So this information was out there, that the HS route would be eliminated, starting in early 2000. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 Opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect on the hospital. -Original Message- From: Metzger, Kenneth Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2012 10:49 AM To: Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] HT exam Can someone tell me what year they began requiring college credits for the HT exam? Thanks Kenneth G Metzger HTL(ASCP) Histology Supervisor ARUP Labs Salt Lake City, Utah Phone: (801)583-2787 ext. 3101 Fax: (801) 584-5244 Email: kenneth.metz...@aruplab.com --- The information transmitted by this e-mail and any included attachments are from ARUP Laboratories and are intended only for the recipient. The information contained in this message is confidential and may constitute inside or non-public information under international, federal, or state securities laws, or protected health information and is intended only for the use of the recipient. Unauthorized forwarding, printing, copying, distributing, or use of such information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you are not the intended recipient, please promptly delete this e-mail and notify the sender of the delivery error or you may call ARUP Laboratories Compliance Hot Line in Salt Lake City, Utah USA at (+1 (800) 522-2787 ext. 2100 ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] tissue highlighting for visibility
Drop of hematoxylin on the tissue, when put on the paper in the grossing area. Use a syringe. Only a SMALL drop. Too much means there's extra blue all over the paper, making it hard to see the blue tissue. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS William Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 The opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect those of Beaumont Hospital. -Original Message- From: cont...@histocare.com Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2012 6:10 PM To: Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] tissue highlighting for visibility Hello all, Earlier today I had a VERY tiny sample from the esophogus. When I say it was tiny, it looked to be only a few microns in thickness. It was inside of, you guessed it, a teabag! :) But that wasn't the problem, as it was appropriate in this case to be put in a teabag because of the size. When I pulled it out of the cassette, I had to go over it very carefully to even find it. It's sad that I know of a not insignificant number of people who wouldn't have taken the time to find it and most likely have dispositioned it as not surviving processing or no tissue found, but that is another issue. I'm sure the patient would appreciate the extra effort. I know of a few techniques to make tissue, and specifically tiny or fatty tissue, more easily visible in cases like these. For example, I've seen using a different colored wax or putting eosin in the alcohol during processing. What do some of you guys do? www.HistoCare.com Histology Staffing ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Re: Teabags
Hint when using these - do NOT try to fold them up into a nice looking square. Once processed and in paraffin, it is very difficult to find the edge, to try to open back up. Fold into a not nice to look at, off-set square that is slightly crumpled. Much easier to find the edge. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS William Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 The opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect on Beaumont Hospital. -Original Message- From: Clouse, Rosanna Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2012 3:31 PM To: Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: [Histonet] Re: Teabags For those of you who like lens paper and/or the Obex Histo Wrap, a very inexpensive alternative is to visit any beauty store or visit sallybeauty.com and get a box of Jumbo End Wraps for $1.99 for a thousand 2.5 x 4 sheets. We have used them for years and they work really well for cell blocks. Rosanna S. Clouse, SCT(ASCP) Division Manager - Cytology Gettysburg Hospital - Wellspan Gettysburg, PA 17325 email-rclo...@wellspan.org -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Bob Richmond Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2012 3:23 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Re: Teabags Susan Walzer notes I was also tired of digging bone marrow particles and biopsies out of the stitching. Some people like [teabags] because they can just dump tissue in them but they do not have to fight with them when embedding. Biopsy cassettes can trap air and float. The best all around product is Obex round papers. For people who like to dump you can fold them into cones and use like filter paper. They are the best thing for all around protection of small and friable tissue. I'm not familiar with Obex round papers. See http://histowrap.com/ for more information. Bob Richmond Samurai Pathologist Asbury Place, a continuing care retirement community in Maryville TN, about half an hour south of Knoxville (but I have no plans to retire!) ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet __ This e-mail has been scanned by Verizon Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic(tm) technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on Verizon's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.verizonbusiness.com. __ CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email may contain confidential health information that is legally privileged. This information is intended for the use of the named recipient(s). The authorized recipient of this information is prohibited from disclosing this information to any party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to destroy the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or action taken in reliance on the contents of this email is strictly prohibited. If you receive this e-mail message in error, please notify the sender immediately to arrange disposition of the information. . __ This e-mail has been scanned by Verizon Managed Email Content Service, using Skeptic(tm) technology powered by MessageLabs. For more information on Verizon's Managed Email Content Service, visit http://www.verizonbusiness.com. __ ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] How to UNSUBSCRIBE
From the computer that you receive your Histonet: Go to the bottom of any Histonet email. click on the link that end in listinfo/histonet Scroll to the bottom of the page Follow the directions to unsubscribe Keep this email, if you plan to re-subscribe after returning from a vacation or maternity leave. Peggy Wenk -Original Message- From: Lewin, Anne Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2012 2:42 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] unsubscribe Unsubscribe, please This message (including any attachments) may contain confidential, proprietary, privileged and/or private information. The information is intended to be for the use of the individual or entity designated above. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please notify the sender immediately, and delete the message and any attachments. Any disclosure, reproduction, distribution or other use of this message or any attachments by an individual or entity other than the intended recipient is prohibited. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Conferences?
Most of the state symposiums are in the spring, since the NSH symposium is in the fall. I just checked the NSH meetings calendar, and I don't see any state meetings for the next several months. Any chance you can go to the NSH Symposium in Vancouver, Canada (which is Region IX). Sept. 29-Oct. 3? Don't know where in the 8th month PG you are. http://www.histoconvention.org/ How about a series of NSH Teleconferences? If you can't listen to it the day it's given, that's OK. Every lab that pays for a teleconference gets a CD about 4-6 weeks later, with the PowerPoint and speaker's voice, and can listen to it up to 2 years later and still get CE. Plus, everyone else in your lab can listen and get CE. Not as much fun as going away to a meeting, but if you have money - and being pregnant limits your ability to attend a meeting - this might be the way to go. They are $125 each. http://www.nsh.org/content/nsh-teleconference-series Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS (Disclosure - I'm the NSH Teleconference Coordinator, but I don't get paid for this volunteer position.) -Original Message- From: Sarah Dysart Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 11:13 AM To: histonet Subject: [Histonet] Conferences? Does anyone know of any conferences or conventions going on in the histology world in the next 8 weeks?? I am 8 months pregnant and was just told that I need to go to a conference this year...unfortunately I cannot fly. The conference would have to be somewhere drive-able from Austin, Texas (preferably no more than 10 hours or so...we Texas people are used to long drives to get places...). That would open up LA, OK, TX, MO, etc. Thanks! Sarah Goebel-Dysart, BA, HT(ASCP), QIHC (ASCP) Histotechnologist Mirna Therapeutics 2150 Woodward Street Suite 100 Austin, Texas 78744 (512)901-0900 ext. 6912 ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Histotech Training
Note: The exact wording under HT eligibility is: . . . AND one year full time acceptable experience in a histopathology (clinical, veterinary, industry or research) laboratory in the U.S., Canada or an accredited laboratory* within the last ten years. Very important to note the One year full time experience. There is another page that talks about full-time vs. part-time experience. http://ascp.org/Board-of-Certification/GetCertified/Step-2/Verify-your-experience.html Full-time experience is defined as a minimum of thirty-five (35) hours per week. Individuals who have part-time experience may be permitted to utilize prorated part-time experience to meet the work experience requirements. For example, if you are employed 20 hours per week for one year, your experience would be computed as 20 divided by 35 multiplied by 52 weeks, or the equivalent of 29.7 weeks of full time employment. Therefore, to qualify to take the exam, your person would need to work a minimum of 35 hours/week for 52 weeks, to be equal to 1 year full time experience. Your person, who is working 1.5 hours/day = 7.5 hours/week (1.5 x 5) Therefore, his full time equivalent would be: (7.5 divided by 35) multiplied by 52 weeks = 11.1 weeks of full time work Therefore, your person will have to work 4.7 years, at 1.5 hours/day, to be equivalent to 1 year full time experience. Now, that being said, some of his hours as a lab assistant MIGHT, just MIGHT, be allowed to be counted as histotechnology experience, for example, if he changes the solutions on the tissue processor, or runs the automated HE or coverslipper. Some of these MIGHT be considered histotech responsibilities. The problem is, ASCP won't say over the phone whether some of the experience will or will not count, and how much of it will (or will not) count. You can ask, but they usually say to apply and then a decision will be made. And if ASCP decides it doesn't count, and the person doesn't have enough hours for 1 year full time, they are denied being allowed to take the exam, and they do NOT get their money back ($200 right now for HT). So, I suggest having MORE THAN half of his hours being histotech job responsibilities only - embedding, sectioning, special stains, IHC stains, troubleshooting, making solutions, etc. And then LESS THAN half being the blurred areas where histotechs or lab assistants might do it, depending upon staffing (processors, coverslipper, etc.). So not all his lab assistant job responsibilities can be counted. That's still over 2.4 years of histotech responsibility (at 1.5 hours/day), PLUS the number of hours/weeks he has as lab assistant that MIGHT, just MIGHT qualify as histotech responsibilities. But don't quote me. This is really gray, shaky ground. It's a lot easier when the person is working 20 hours/week as a histotech, and it takes 2 years to qualify. Or 35-40 hours/week as a histotech and it takes 1 year to quality. Also, frankly, in my opinion, working 1.5 hours/day, or 7.5 hours/week for 1 year is NOT enough time for him to get the technical knowledge to be able to pass the exam. It's $200 to apply for the HT exam. Please give him enough time to learn all the material, so he doesn't have to take the exam again. And again. That's a lot of money to waste when not adequately prepared. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: joelle weaver Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2012 9:04 AM To: wilson6...@yahoo.com ; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: [Histonet] Histotech Training Take a look at the ASCP BOC eligibility criteria at http://www.ascp.org/Board-of-Certification/GetCertifiedin a nutshell it is pretty much this at this time: Candidates must have completed a NAACLS Histotechnician program in the last 5 years. Or, Candidates must have acquired a minimum of 90 quarter hours or 60 semester hours in an accredited university or college, to include 12 semester hours of chemistry and biology, or possess an Associate degree from an accredited university or college with a combination of 18 quarter chemistry and of biology, plus a 1 year experience in histopathology Candidates must also have acquired experience within the past 10 years in any of the following areas; Fixation, Processing, Microtomy and Staining.They define FT employment and sliding scale for PT work in the materials.What is on the exam is outlined completely on the BOC page and in this guideline/outline- http://www.ascp.org/PDF/ExaminationContentGuidelinesHT.aspx Joelle Weaver MAOM, HTL (ASCP) QIHC Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2012 16:11:32 -0700 From: wilson6...@yahoo.com To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Histotech Training Hi, I have a question about the training requirement for the HT Certification Test. My question is, will the ASCP allow a guy who works as a lab assistant in the histology lab andintends to train as an histotech for one and half hour a day for
RE: [Histonet] microscope ocular questions
Tim, etal: This is easily understood: focusing and setup work the same on binoculars, one eyepiece is focused with the main focusing system, the other is used to match focusing with both eyes. First focus the scope (binoculars or microscope) thru the simple (non focusing) eyepiece, then use the focusing eyepiece to fine tune focus for the other eye. Once you've determined the setting on the focusing eyepiece, you can return the scope to this setting with ease and you should be able to use the scope for hours at a time without fatigue. Each microscope or binoculars is different. The setting for each person will be different (everybody's eyes are different). Each of our eyes are different, thus the need for independent focusing for one eye. Try defocusing the focusing eyepiece and using scope for a period. Your eyes will have to work overtime to keep the image in focus (if you are young you might last longer than I would at 65) and you could get a headache or suffer fatigue. Lee Wenk (Peggy's husband) -Original Message- From: Morken, Timothy Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2012 1:39 PM To: Histonet Subject: [Histonet] microscope ocular questions Histonet gurus, Why is each microscope ocular marked and operated differently? For instance the right one has a knurled focusing ring, is easily focused and has detailed graduations while the left one is not really set up to focus quickly and has only minimal graduations? Always wondered about this but can't find anything about it! Thanks for your insights! Tim Morken Supervisor, Electron Microscopy/Neuromuscular Special Studies Department of Pathology UC San Francisco Medical Center 505 Parnassus Ave, Box 1656 Room S570 San Francisco, CA 94143 (415) 353-1266 (ph) (415) 514-3403 (fax) tim.mor...@ucsfmedctr.org ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Fw: [Histonet] microscope ocular questions
Tim, You are welcome, but I'm not Peggy. I'm Lee, her husband. I'm very familiar with binoculars, so I only assumed that they are the same as microscopes. Lee Wenk -Original Message- From: Morken, Timothy Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2012 2:49 PM To: Lee Peggy Wenk ; Histonet Subject: RE: [Histonet] microscope ocular questions Thanks Peggy, That is clear. I used microscopes for years with one fixed ocular and one focusable ocular. I was wondering about why now both oculars are focusable yet one has more usability than the other. Maybe to accomodate greater variation? Or maybe is due to the advent of parfocal microscopes I found some instructions on parfocal adjustment that refers to setting both oculars to zero when doing the initial focus at high magnification, then setting the ocular adjustment for each eye at low magnification. So that makes sense for individualistic adjustment. However, I was asked why one ocular has easier use and more graduations that the other and I didn't have a good answer to that...The person thought the oculars were not the same so there was some problem with the microscope. Tim -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Lee Peggy Wenk Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2012 11:27 AM To: Histonet Subject: RE: [Histonet] microscope ocular questions Tim, etal: This is easily understood: focusing and setup work the same on binoculars, one eyepiece is focused with the main focusing system, the other is used to match focusing with both eyes. First focus the scope (binoculars or microscope) thru the simple (non focusing) eyepiece, then use the focusing eyepiece to fine tune focus for the other eye. Once you've determined the setting on the focusing eyepiece, you can return the scope to this setting with ease and you should be able to use the scope for hours at a time without fatigue. Each microscope or binoculars is different. The setting for each person will be different (everybody's eyes are different). Each of our eyes are different, thus the need for independent focusing for one eye. Try defocusing the focusing eyepiece and using scope for a period. Your eyes will have to work overtime to keep the image in focus (if you are young you might last longer than I would at 65) and you could get a headache or suffer fatigue. Lee Wenk (Peggy's husband) -Original Message- From: Morken, Timothy Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2012 1:39 PM To: Histonet Subject: [Histonet] microscope ocular questions Histonet gurus, Why is each microscope ocular marked and operated differently? For instance the right one has a knurled focusing ring, is easily focused and has detailed graduations while the left one is not really set up to focus quickly and has only minimal graduations? Always wondered about this but can't find anything about it! Thanks for your insights! Tim Morken Supervisor, Electron Microscopy/Neuromuscular Special Studies Department of Pathology UC San Francisco Medical Center 505 Parnassus Ave, Box 1656 Room S570 San Francisco, CA 94143 (415) 353-1266 (ph) (415) 514-3403 (fax) tim.mor...@ucsfmedctr.org ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Frozens and antigen retrieval
Usually not. Fixation cross-links the proteins, which can mask the epitope (=antibody binding site of the antigen). So antigen retrieval breaks the fixative cross-links, exposing the epitope. If there's no fixation, there's no cross-links, so the epitope is usually exposed and available to easily bind to the antibody. Plus, there's no destruction of tissue morphology if you're not using antigen retrieval, so the quality of the section looks much nicer. That being said, there may be some antibody out there that still needs antigen retrieval on frozen section, but then the company's protocol probably wouldn't say optional. So try it the first time without antigen retrieval. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Schools of Histotechnology William Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 The opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect Beaumont. -Original Message- From: Daniela Bodemer Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2012 7:02 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Frozens and antigen retrieval Hi all, A question from my student: antigen retrieval when using frozens for immunofluorescence -yes or no? The protocol suggested by the antibody company lists the retrieval as an option. I am used to do retrieval on paraffin sections, but not on cryo sections. Hit me with your opinions on this :-) Thanks in advance, Daniela Sent from my iPad __ This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service. For more information please visit http://www.symanteccloud.com __ ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Why people are having issues unsubscribing
Merced, This makes perfect sense. Many people (young and old) are NOT internet savvy and indeed will NOT go searching for the correct way to ‘unsubscribe’. Adding a hyperlink to unsubscribe would solve this problem for most people. I'm certain that there are some people that would not see something as obvious as this and would still be asking to be unsubscribed. Lee Wenk -Original Message- From: Leiker, Merced Sent: Friday, June 08, 2012 9:44 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Why people are having issues unsubscribing There are 3 reasons why it is not immediately obvious to people that one of the links at the bottom of Histonet email helps you unsubscribe: 1. In this day and age of internet and email hypertext clutter people simply do not have the time nor the desire to click and explore every link they come across to see which one is going to lead them to the desired page. If the hypertext of a link does not jump out at a person with the info they want, they disregard it and keep looking or freak out and ask the whole list. Neither link at the bottom of Histonet email explicitly states the info most people are probably looking for - that is, to unsubscribe. 2. Most email (junk or subscription) that people receive contain a link that states, To unsubscribe CLICK HERE, or words to that effect. I believe this is what most people are looking for who are trying to unsubscribe from Histonet. 3. Most people trying to unsubscribe are not even reading well-intentioned email sent from Histonetters trying to help them. They see [Histonet] in the subject line and disregard it because they're trying to unsubscribe, not read more Histonet email. Just trying to facilitate some understanding here of the problem. That said, my suggestion to the list moderator would be to include a link at the bottom of Histonet email that explicitly states To unsubscribe CLICK HERE. This should reduce some of the clutter of unwanted and unnecessary off-topic (i.e., unsubscribe me please!!!) Histonet email. Regards, Merced Merced M Leiker Cardiovascular Medicine Biomedical Research Building Rm 348 State University of New York at Buffalo 3435 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14214 (Ph) 716-829-6118 (Fx) 716-829-2665 __ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] View Transit of Venus
Now for something totally non-histology related – For those of us in the basement, who hardly ever see the sun: Literally a once-in-a-lifetime (about every 112 years) event – Venus will pass in front of our Sun tonight Tues June 5. Starting about 5:45 pm Eastern time, for about 3 hours. All of North American should be able to see it. (Those in other countries – check the NASA website below.) Do NOT look at the sun directly. Do NOT look at it with regular sunglasses. Use welders glass, pin hole camera, or telescope with solar filter are OK. Demonstrations of how to do these: http://www.transitofvenus.org/june2012/eye-safety/281-six-ways-to-see-the-transit-of-venus Or watch on live NASA broadcast. http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2012/transit/webcast.php Have fun! Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] DIRECTIONS TO UNSUBSCRIBE
DIRECTIONS TO UNSUBSCRIBE - it's a do-it-yourself: - from the computer you are receiving the Histonet emails: - open any email from Histonet - scroll to the bottom of the email - click on the http link - scroll to the bottom of the new link, look for a statement about To unsubscribe from Histonet - put in your email in the blank - click on unsubscribe Peggy Wenk -Original Message- From: Bartlett, Jeanine (CDC/OID/NCEZID) Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2012 11:41 AM To: WILLIAM DESALVO ; dtay...@mcpathology.com ; histonet Subject: RE: [Histonet] please unsubscribe Too funny! Everyone, UNSUBSCRIBE YOURSELF! -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of WILLIAM DESALVO Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2012 11:40 AM To: dtay...@mcpathology.com; histonet Subject: RE: [Histonet] please unsubscribe #116 - WHEN WILL IT STOP? William DeSalvo, B.S., HTL(ASCP) Date: Thu, 31 May 2012 11:34:52 -0400 From: dtay...@mcpathology.com To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] please unsubscribe Please unsubscribe me from this list. Thanks. Deborah Taylor, MS Customer Relations/Lab Manager Marlboro Chesterfield Pathology, PC 672 Hwy 9 West Bennettsville, SC 29512 Phone: 843-479-2402 Fax: 843-479-6609 Note: The information in this message is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee. Access to this message by anone else is unauthorized. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure copying or distribution of the message or any action or omission taken by you in reliance on it, is prohibitied and may be unlawful. Please immediately contact the sender if you have received this message in error. Thank you. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] (no subject) (Not requiring HT Certification)
I'd like to wade into this discuss with a couple of comments: LABS WANTING ONLY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES AND/OR NON-CERTIFIED HISTOTECHS: Yes, I'm still hearing about places like this. When I talk with the supervisors, it's because the lab wants the person doing the histotech job, but they only want to pay them at lab assistant wages. Plus, once they get the people trained as histotechs, the employees can't go elsewhere, because the other labs only want certified histotech, and these people can't get certified as they don't have the associate degree and minimum 12 hours of biology and chemistry combined as required to take the ASCP HT exam. So these people end up having to stay there. (Personally, I think is very unfair to the employees they hire.) LABS NOT KNOWING ABOUT THE CHANGES IN HT REQUIREMENTS: Even though the High School route was dropped as of Jan 1, 2005 (over 7 years ago), I still get emails from labs that want to hire one of my students, but their job description says high school diploma. I usually call these places up, and the histology supervisor had no idea the ASCP HT high school route was dropped. Someone should have told them. Even though it was in every NSH in Action for the 5 years previous (that's now over 12 years ago), in some ASCP publications each year for the 5 years previous, and on both the NSH and ASCP webpage for the 5 years previous, well, since they aren't NSH or ASCP members, well, someone still should have contacted them directly and let them know. Sigh. I've had employees call that they were hired after the 2005 deadline, with the job description of high school graduate requirement, and were told they had 2 years to get the experience required, and then they had 1 additional year in which to take and pass the HT exam. And when they went to sign up to take the HT exam, they discovered that the HT exam requirements had dropped the high school route and now the on-the-job (OJT) requires the associate degree/60 credit hours with 12 credits of bio/chem, which of course they don't have. They tell me that their histology supervisor says they are going to fire them, because they can't take the ASCP HT Exam. I end up talking with the supervisor, and advise them to talk with their HR and Legal departments, as they are the ones who advertised the high school requirement, and they are the ones who hired this person without the needed education. And I suggest they help with person complete an on-line NAACLS HT program, several of which will take someone with the high school diploma, as long as they had a biology, a chemistry, and a math class in high school. NAACLS STUDENTS TAKING THE HT (OR HTL) ASCP EXAM: NAACLS is the accrediting agency for HT and HTL programs. (Think CAP, but for most lab training programs.) NAACLS has a long list of standards for programs to follow. (Think CAP checklist.) Standard 14 G has a statement The granting of the degree or certificate must not be contingent upon the student's passing any type of external certification or licensure examination. (Explanation: Not all HT programs end in an associate degree. The certificate refers to a certificate of completion of a program. My program, for example, is hospital-based. Some students already have their degree before they start my program. Some have all the college credits except for the ones they are earning while completing the internship, then they earn their degree from the college when they complete the internship and get the grade for those last credit hours. The hospital doesn't grant the degree, the college does. The hospital program grants a certificate of completion of the program, which is acceptable to NAACLS, ASCP, and employers.) As NAACLS accredited HT or HTL programs, we can encourage our students to take the HT/HTL exam upon completion of the program. We can do review sessions with them. We can remind them of the deadlines to sign up. We can help them sign up if they are having problems. We can let them know that labs in our area expect people to be certified. We can let them know that they can sign up while still in the program (couple of months before graduation), and they can, before they graduate, pick a date to take the exam after graduation. We can tell them that these dates to take the exams can be put on their resume, on the application, and that they can inform the supervisor during the interview that they are already signed up to take the HT/HTL exam. But we can NOT make the student take the exam. Completion of the program cannot be contingent upon taking or passing the HT/HTL exam (or getting state licensure). The program could lose NAACLS accreditation if we force the student to take the HT/HTL/state licensure exam, or withhold their degree or certificate until they do take/pass the HT/HTL exam/become state licensed. Thanks for listening. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Program Director, Schools of
Re: [Histonet] Prepared STD slides?
A Google search of prepared histology slides found a company called Carolina http://www.carolina.com/ Click Life Sciences Click Microscopic slides Don't know if they have exactly what you want, but it's a start. Don't know anything about the company. Maybe someone on Histonet does. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 (Opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect my place of employment.) -Original Message- From: Kim Donadio Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 9:03 PM To: Jon Krupp Cc: Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: Re: [Histonet] Prepared STD slides? Contact your local college Might help Sent from my iPhone On Apr 12, 2012, at 3:48 PM, Jon Krupp jkr...@deltacollege.edu wrote: Hi I not a histo tech, nor do I play one on TV, so I might not be up to speed on this. A microbiology instructor asked me to see if there is a source of prepared slides of STD's that he could use in class. Maybe you know some place we could check? I have done some WWW searching, but have had a hard time finding prepared slides students could use with a microscope in class. Most everything seems to have gone digital and PowerPoint-ish. Thanks Jon Jonathan Krupp Delta College 5151 Pacific Ave. Box 212 Stockton, CA 95207 209-954-5284 jkr...@deltacollege.edu Find us on Facebook @ Electron Microscopy at SJ Delta College ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Microwave use in histo lab
There is the document from CLSI on Microwave Device Used in Histology Laboratory, GP28-A. If your lab is CAP accredited, your organization might already be a member of CLSI (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute) www.clsi.org so you might already have the ability to download this. It's a consensus document from experts in the field, and was put together over a several year period at the NSH Symposium, with lots on input from NSH members. Then it was open to the public, and any other histotech (researcher, electrician, whoever) could comment on it. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 The opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect Beaumont Hospital. -Original Message- From: Hart, Heather Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2012 8:05 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Microwave use in histo lab Hello everyone! I am currently taking a class titled Current Trends Applications in Applied Science Technology which is essentially a capstone course for my BSAST degree completion. This course requires a four part research paper on any technology of choice in the (students) related field. The topic I have chosen is Microwave Use in the Histology Lab. I am trying to gather information for the third module in which I need to address the topics listed below. I would appreciate any personal input or opinions about the topic per guidelines listed. Thank you for your help! Heather Hart, MLT (ASCP) Various Perspectives and Opinions Provide alternative perspectives from experts on technology Political implications and influences Public opinion on technology such as the media, consumers and community Your assessment of how effective the initial planning and risk assessment was to the implementation and usage of the technology “You are encouraged to access other users and/or associated technologists in order to gain insight into various perspectives and fully understand the applications of the technology selected.” This message (including any attachments) may contain confidential, proprietary, privileged and/or private information. The information is intended to be for the use of the individual or entity designated above. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please notify the sender immediately, and delete the message and any attachments. Any disclosure, reproduction, distribution or other use of this message or any attachments by an individual or entity other than the intended recipient is prohibited. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
[Histonet] adenovirus control
Anyone have an adenovirus control they are willing to spare? Or trade for something else you need? Contact me at work, please pw...@beaumont.edu Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Congo red
Is it ONE particular case that is giving you problems, or ALL cases of amyloid? Maybe just the control? If the amyloid is a large deposit, that has been in the patient for a long time, the beta pleats can get warped, and the Congo red will be very pale to no staining. In those cases, we: - Use the Auramine-Rhodamine fluorescence scope (hit slide with green light) on the Congo red stained tissue. Congo red amyloid will fluoresce orange against a black background. - Do a crystal violet stain. Amyloid will be pink violet against a blue purple background. - Do a Thioflavin T stain. Use the FITC fluorescence microscope (hit slide with blue light). TFT will fluoresce yellow against a black background. All the amyloid stains have a weakness when it comes to staining amyloid. There isn't one that works all the time. If the Congo red is working fine, then that's the only stain we do. But if the Congo red isn't staining correctly (our control is great, but the patient's tissue is weak to no staining), then we do one or more of the above options. If you need the crystal violet or TFT procedure, let me know. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 The opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect those of my employer. -Original Message- From: Bryan Llewellyn Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2012 12:22 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: Re: [Histonet] Congo red Bennhold's method is not the easiest to give good results. Try Highmans's method (http://stainsfile.info/StainsFile/stain/amyloid/congohighman.htm). It is much easier to control. Remember that congo red is not an intensely coloured dye and the results are often pale. If your pathologists want a punchier stain try sirius red F3B (NOT 4B), as this is a deeper red than congo red. It can be used in a Highman type procedure as a direct substitute for congo red. It also gives green birefringence, again somewhat darker than congo red. Bryan Llewellyn Cheri Miller wrote: Anyone have any solution to a week Congo Red? I use Rowley Congo red, 1% aqueous order # S0-496. our procedure is Benholds and I cut at 5-6 microns. And I leave in the solution for up to 4 hours and the paths are still saying it is weak. Any ideas? I have even stopped the Alkaline alcohol differentiation step and its still too weak. Cheryl A. Miller HT(ASCP)cm Histology/Cytology Prep Supervisor Physicians Laboratory Services Omaha, NE. 402 731 4145 ext. 554 PRIVILEGED / CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION may be contained in this message. If you are not the addressee intended / indicated or agent responsible for delivering it to the addressee, you are hereby notified that you are in possession of confidential and privileged information. Any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this email from your system. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Shiny side of a paraffin section
I think it's more to have consistency, rather than, say, a physical reason. My opinion. Example: - Tech A put the shiny side down on the flotation bath, and picked up the sections on the slide, and did an HE. - Later in the day, the pathologist needs additional levels or some special stains or IHC on the same block. - If Tech B now cuts the same block and puts shiny side up, the sections would be 180 degrees reversed. So if the pathologist saw the area of concern in lower left quadrant in the original HE, now it would be in the upper right quadrant. Sort of the same reason when laying out ribbons, it would be nice for the the top of the block be picked up from the ribbon oriented towards the top (frosty) part of the slide. If all techs picked up the ribbon in the same orientation directions, all subsequent recuts would also be in the same direction, regardless of which tech cut the block. (Unless of course you are putting 3 ribbons on the same slide, then the top of the block may be different, but even then, the ribbons are always laid out in the same directions, so that all 3 ribbons of tissue are facing the same direction.) It just makes it easier for the pathologist to find the same area quickly on each section. And for the histotech to check the quality of the staining in specific areas on each slide. Peggy A. Wenk,HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 The opinions expressed are my own, and do not reflect upon Beaumont Hospital. -Original Message- From: Eric Hoy Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 8:36 PM To: Histonet Subject: Re: [Histonet] Shiny side of a paraffin section All of the cells would be face down when you looked at them! (It's already been a long week!) Eric Hoy === Eric S. Hoy, Ph.D., SI(ASCP) Clinical Associate Professor Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, Texas Email: eric@utsouthwestern.edu === On 2/28/12 5:56 PM, Lucie Guernsey lguern...@ucsd.edu wrote: As all of us who cut paraffin know, the underside of each section as it comes off the blade is shiny. I've always accepted it as a fact that the shiny side always goes down on the water bath, but I've begun to wonder why. Is there a specific reason why we're all taught to put the shiny side down? What would the difference be between a 'properly' collected section and a rebelliously collected shiny-side up section? Does it even matter? Thanks! Lucie Lucie Guernsey UC San Diego lguern...@ucsd.edu ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Re: Histonet Digest, Vol 99, Issue 33
What is it exactly that they don't like about the biopsies? What type of microtomy errors? Too thick? Chatter? Thick-thin ribbons? Also, are the rest of non-biopsy tissues looking OK? And, are all the tissues being run on the same tissue processor time schedule? We can guess at the problem, but we need a little more information, to make certain the Histonet community is giving you the right help. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 The opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect upon Beaumont Hospital -Original Message- From: Madeleine Huey Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2012 1:42 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Re: Histonet Digest, Vol 99, Issue 33 From: Wilson A wilson6...@yahoo.com Subject: [Histonet] PROBLEM GETTING GOOD SECTIONS FROM BIOPSIES AND LIVER BIOPSY To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Message-ID: 1330140535.4261.yahoomail...@web120903.mail.ne1.yahoo.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Hi, Please we are having problems getting great slides from tissue/biopsy specimens like gastric, esophageal, needdle biopsy and Liver Biopsy. Our pathologists are not happy at all because of this situation. I will really, really appreciate if you guys in histoland could suggest some solutions that could stop the problem. Hoping to read from you guys asap. You guys are the best. Thanks, Wilson Wilson, Have you try soften your biopsy tissues in ammonium water (~ 10%) before sectioning? That's seem to work very well for my lab. You can email me for more detail if needed. Madeleine Huey BS, HTL (ASCP) QIHC Supervisor - Pathology (IPOX Histology) madelein...@elcaminohospital.org ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Fw: [Histonet] RE: fire extinguishers
Be careful with Halon. We at Ford used in in our server rooms, but we had many hundreds of thousands of dollars of servers and a fairly large room. If it is set off, EVERYBODY MUST leave the room. Halon will NOT support life (this is why it works as a fire suppressor). So, along with the Halon, you should have a good way to flush the Halon from the room before returning to it. Lee Peggy Wenk Actually I'm Lee, not Peggy. -Original Message- From: Blazek, Linda Sent: Friday, February 24, 2012 4:01 PM To: 'Elizabeth Chlipala' ; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] RE: fire extinguishers Thanks Liz, The guy that was in here today said we should use the Halon or Ansul Cleanguard extinguishers on any piece of equipment to reduce the damage from the ABC extinguishers. I know we have Halon in the server room but I've never heard of having one in the lab itself. He was also talking about a price of $350 - $400. -Original Message- From: Elizabeth Chlipala [mailto:l...@premierlab.com] Sent: Friday, February 24, 2012 2:55 PM To: Blazek, Linda; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: fire extinguishers Linda We do, we have it located where our server is, its only supposed to be used on our server, we have regular A B C extinguishers in the lab. The Halon ones are for computers and stuff like that. They are not inexpensive, they cost about $185.00 each. They are liquid that does not damage the computer equipment. Liz Elizabeth A. Chlipala, BS, HTL(ASCP)QIHC Manager Premier Laboratory, LLC PO Box 18592 Boulder, CO 80308-1592 (303) 682-3949 office (303) 682-9060 fax (303) 881-0763 cell www.premierlab.com Ship to address: 1567 Skyway Drive, Unit E Longmont, CO 80504 -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Blazek, Linda Sent: Friday, February 24, 2012 12:49 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] fire extinguishers Does anyone have a Halon or Ansul Clean guard fire extinguisher in the lab? The company that does our sprinkler system has suggested that we have that kind. Thanks, Linda Our Vision: To be the #1 choice for all your GI services Linda Blazek HT (ASCP) Manager/Supervisor GI Pathology of Dayton Phone: (937) 396-2623 Email: lbla...@digestivespecialists.commailto:lbla...@digestivespecialists.com ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Bleaching in the histo lab
Several questions and comments, in no particular order: 1. What percent of bleach? - 10% is all that is needed for biohazards. If you are concerned about the smell, it might be too high a percent. 2. How good is your ventilation? How long do you continue to smell the chlorine? - If you continue to smell it hours later, or even the next day, have your safety officer and maintenance people check out the ventilation. 3. After wiping down with 10% bleach, are you wiping down the counter with water? - Need to clean off the corrosive bleach off the surfaces. That would also help with the smell. But takes more time. 3. What locations in the lab are you cleaning with dilute bleach? - The only areas that need to be cleaned with a disinfectant are those areas that have fresh or not completely fixed tissue, so around the grossing stations and the cryostat. Maybe where specimens are received into the lab. - The areas where you process tissue, embed, microtome, do staining, file slides and blocks should not need to be disinfected with bleach. The tissue has been fixed in formalin, and gone through alcohol, xylene (or substitute), and placed in 60 degree C (140 degree F) paraffin. That should kill almost all microorganisms. Therefore, should not need to clean up with anything beyond soap and water. If you have a very underprocessed tissue block, and it's oozing and weeping all over the counter and microtome, you may want to disinfect the area. (If it's a CJD case, you are going to need strong solutions than 10% bleach, but that's a whole new conversation.) - So talk with your safety officer, about how there are no biohazards in the other parts of the lab. They may be thinking more of the clinical pathology labs, with blood tubes and petri dishes, needing to be disinfected with bleach every day/shift. 4. Chemical incompatibility: Bleach is incompatible with ammonia (makes chlorine gas - deadly) Bleach is incompatible with acids Bleach is an oxidizer, and formaldehyde is supposed to be kept away from oxidizers. So, yes, I would be a little worried about chemical interaction. However, wiping down the area first with water, to remove other chemicals, before the bleach, would take care of this problems. 5. What does Epidemiology suggest for disinfectant? Our epidemiology is suggesting other cleaning solutions for disinfecting, rather than bleach, in many cases. - not as corrosive - less obnoxious fumes - more green - better disinfectant and faster, than bleach Peggy Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Health Systems Royal Oak, MI 48073 (Comments reflect my opinions, not that of my hospital) -Original Message- From: angela smith Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 8:57 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Bleaching in the histo lab I have been told by our safety officer that it is standard practice too clean the lab at the end of the day with diluted bleach. I have noticed a chemical reaction (smell) when cleaning the main area of the lab. I have concerns that this is not a good practice due to chemical reactions as we use so many chemicals in histology. What do other people do? Also I believe it is unsafe to use bleach with anything formalin related. Please let me know if you have a standard practice or mandated cleaning from your facility. Angela ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] gelatine, silane, super frost plus slides ???
I'll take a stab at it. All the subbed slides (short for submerged in a solution) have a coating that makes them for positively charged. The lab can make a solution to submerge the slides, or the vendor can submerge the slides and sell the slides pre-made. Or, the material can be placed in the flotation bath, so that the charged material is placed on the slide at the time of sectioning. The purpose is to place more positive charges on the slide, so that the proteins in the tissue have something to bind to, more strongly, so the tissue won't fall off the slide. Poly-L-lysine = is a solution with lots of left-handed lysine amino acids, which have lots of amines = NH3+ Silane = solution with silicon and NH3+ Gelatin = solution of proteins, made up of amino acids, some of which are amines = NH3+ Chrome-Gelatin = solution of proteins (amine NH3+) and chromium potassium sulfate, where the chromium is positively charged. Plus slides = generic term. Could be coated with any of the above, to make them more positively charged (+ = plus sign). Need to read the manufacturer's information as to which submersion solution they used. Super frost = I believe refers to the frosted end being coated with a thicker material, so that it's easier to write and read the patient's information written on the end of the slide. Which one used = what works best in your lab, at the price you are willing to pay. In other words, moslyt personal preference. P.S. FYI for your student: Older formulations used: - Elmer's glue = milk casein proteins originally, which are +. Now synthetic compound polyvinyl acetate - Egg albumin = amino acids, with charges - Blood serum = with albumin = amino acids = charges (hopefully practice ended when some blood serum tested positive with HIV) Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 The opinions expressed to not reflect upon Beaumont Hospital -Original Message- From: Daniela Bodemer Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 12:29 AM To: Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] gelatine, silane, super frost plus slides ??? Hi all, I am putting information together for students and thought you might be able to help me. Gelatine, silane, super frost plus slides. What are the differences and characteristics and which slide to use for what? Thank you, Daniela Bodemer __ This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service. For more information please visit http://www.symanteccloud.com __ ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] b-cells stain
Acetaldehyde can be used instead of paraldehyde, to make aldehyde fuchsin. Substitute 1.5 - 2.0 mL acetaldehyde for every 1.0 mL of paraldehyde. Acetaldehyde is usually not a restricted drug, a whole lot cheaper than acetaldehyde, and once opened, remains good for much longer than paraldehyde, when stored in the refrigerator (at least 18 months instead for the 2-3 months for paraldehyde). The aldehyde-fuchsin, once made, will only be good for about 3-4 weeks, when stored in the refrig, regardless of whether it was made with paraldehyde or acetaldehyde. The source for the exchange was this article: Gabe, M. 1953. Sur quelques applications de la coloration par la fuchsine-paraldehyde. Bull. Micros. Appl. Ser. 2, 3: 153-162. One of my students, Yelena Mushkina, HTL(ASCP), translated it from the French to her native Russian, and then from Russian to English. Took a couple of dictionaries! I wrote this up in a Letter to the Editor in the Dec. 1996 NSH Journal of Histotechnology Acetaldehyde as a Substitute for Paraldehyde. In case you need some references. IHC is actually better for demonstrating beta cells - whether for pituitary or for pancreas. Just something else to think about. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 -Original Message- From: Silvina Molinuevo Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2011 9:25 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] b-cells stain Hi Histonetters!! I want to do Chrome Hematoxylin-Phloxin (from Gomori) to show b-cells. Does anybody know if the stain go well with ferrum hematoxylin instead of chrome hematoxylin? I know that the best stain is Aldehyde-fuchsin but I can't import paraldehyde because of legal restrictions about that product in my country. Thanks in advance. Dr María Silvina Molinuevo Grupo de Investigacion en Osteopatias y Metabolismo Mineral Departamento de Ciencias Biologicas Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Universidad Nacional de La Plata 47 y 115 (1900)La Plata Argentina www.biol.unlp.edu.ar/giomm e-mail: silvina.molinu...@bigfoot.com ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] demonstration of asbestos by means of electron microscopy
The StainsFile page has some techniques, using polarizing microscopes. http://stainsfile.info/StainsFile/stain/pigment/asbestos.htm Asbestos are usually very small fibers, and will not show up in every section. Cutting thicker sections sometimes helps. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 -Original Message- From: Yolanda Davies Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 4:14 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] demonstration of asbestos by means of electron microscopy Dear all I am a histotechnologist in forensics, Cape Town, South Africa. I received a request to show asbestos in lung tissue where there is definite interstitial fibrosis, but the presence of asbestos is not clear. Is it possible to reveal asbestos by means of electron microscopy? Usually asbestos is demonstrated using the Perl's Prussian blue technique, but most times they are elusive. Could it be because of the sampling site or simply the nature of the asbestos? Thank you in advance Yolanda Davies Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology Falmouth building Anzio Road Observatory Cape Town South Africa ### UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN This e-mail is subject to the UCT ICT policies and e-mail disclaimer published on our website at http://www.uct.ac.za/about/policies/emaildisclaimer/ or obtainable from +27 21 650 9111. This e-mail is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. If the e-mail has reached you in error, please notify the author. If you are not the intended recipient of the e-mail you may not use, disclose, copy, redirect or print the content. If this e-mail is not related to the business of UCT it is sent by the sender in the sender's individual capacity. ### ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Lithium carbonate
Any chance it should have been 0.5 g lithium carbonate in 500 mL water? Maybe someone typed the label wrong? That's happened to us before. Is it supposed to be a 1.0% solution, or a 0.1% solution? Only reason I'm asking is that the only place we use lithium carbonate is in the LFB stain for myelin, and we use a 0.05% solution (0.25 g in 500 mL). If you are adding 5 g to 500 mL of water, that's a 1% solution, which, for lithium carbonate, is very close to being a saturated solution (where not all of it will dissolve). Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 (The opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect on my hospital.) -Original Message- From: Nancy Schmitt Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 8:39 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Lithium carbonate Good Morning- Making up some lithium carbonate - it is staying very milky in appearance - have not previously had that happen. We tried a couple different times - same result. We are not doing anything different - 5g lithium carbonate to 500ml Type I water. Any thoughts? Thanks, Nancy NOTICE: This email may contain legally privileged information. The information is for the use of only the intended recipient(s) even if addressed incorrectly. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender that you have received it in error and then delete it along with any attachments. Thank you. ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Re: Celestin blue B (was Help)
With the hematoxylin shortage of a couple of years ago (real, not imagined in about 2007-2008), several companies tried to come up with a synthetic dye substitute. A little background: Celestine blue (CI 51050, also known as Mordant blue 14) is a substitute touted many years ago (late 1960s/early 1970s if I remember, when there was another shortage for different reasons). I've used it years ago, in a stain called MSB for fibrin (look in a Bancroft book). The MSB stain used a double nuclear stain of aluminum hematoxylin (e.g. Mayer or Harris) and celestine blue. We didn't like the celestine blue, because when we mixed the iron mordant salt with the celestine blue dye, it worked right away, but, the next time someone asked for a MSB stain (several months later), the celestine blue was overoxidized, and wouldn't work. So we would have to stop and make the dye up immediately. It was a nuisance. But the double nuclear stain to to try to keep the nuclei a blue color, after going through the next 3 dyes (MSB is sort of a quatrachrome). Eventually, we just started using the Weigert hematoxylin from the trichrome stain in place of the double nuclear stain in the MSB. Our pathologists like the MSB stain better with the Weigert hematoxylin. Current use: Since 2008, three companies that I know of came up with hematoxylin substitutes, in response to that shortage. - Anatech Ltd, which used Mordant blue 3, CI 43820, and called it Tango Blue. So this is NOT celestine blue. http://www.anatechltdusa.com/MSDS_pdf/TangoStainMSDS.pdf - Newcomer Supply, which calls their substitute Newly Blue, but says it is a Celestine blue in one solution, ferric ammonium sulfate in the other solution. I don't know if you mix the two solutions before use, or if you dip the slides in first one solution and then the other. I didn't get around to their booth this year at NSH (sorry Marcia), and have never seen a procedure sheet on this stain. http://www.newcomersupply.com/products/standard-special-stains?page=N#181 - ThermoFisher/Richard Allan, which calls their substitute Phoenix blue.The problem is, they are being secretive (proprietary) about what dye/reagents are in their solutions. I looked at one time, and couldn't find MSDS on their websites And their flyer doesn't mention the dyes name or CI #. However, the photo on the flyer, at least to me, looks like celestine blue. That's not proof that it IS celestine blue. Could be a close look-alike cousin. http://www.thermo.com/eThermo/CMA/PDFs/Product/productPDF_6906.pdf So look to these companies for more information. Anatech has a newsletter, available on their website, about the hematoxylin shortage (and their Tango blue product, of course). (Not that this will help you with your Celestine blue project, but it will fill you in on the hematoxylin shortage history.) http://www.anatechltdusa.com/Innovators/Inn08Summer.pdf Hope that helps some. Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS Schools of Histotechnology Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, MI 48073 (Opinions expressed are my own, and not Beaumont Hospitals'.) -Original Message- From: Bob Richmond Sent: Sunday, November 06, 2011 3:42 PM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Re: Celestin blue B (was Help) Corrie Vernick writes: I am currently a histology student at Keiser University. I am doing a project for my routine staining class about Celestine Blue. I've been able to find information on why it was created, the chemical make up, and some of it's uses including the trichrome stain. I am having trouble finding images of slides stained with Celestine Blue. Any additional information about the uses would be helpful as well! Thank you, Corrinne Vernick, Keiser University FL U.S.A. I don't have access to my library this week, but you can get a good bit information by Googling celestin blue B. This dye was often used as a sort of backup or substitute for hematoxylin, particularly in the old outmoded Pearse stain for pituitary cells. R.D. Lillie as I remember didn't think much of the dye, and I don't think this dye is a very good topic for a study such as the one you describe. Bob Richmond Samurai Pathologist Knoxville TN ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Suggestions please...
Is there a slaughter house nearby? Call them, and have some documentation that you are from a university - such as a memo on a letterhead. Is there animal research at your university? Can they spare a rat? Try to do this right before class, so there is less autolysis. Put tissue in a plastic bag, and store in refrig for a few hours, until ready. Peggy Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS -Original Message- From: Komal Gada Sent: Saturday, October 22, 2011 9:46 AM To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: [Histonet] Suggestions please... Dear Histonetters, I'm currently teaching Histology at a University, and I was hoping for some suggestions on how to teach students to use a cryostat. I have several questions: 1) Since we do not have access to actual specimens, what would any of you recommend could be used as a viable option? So far, I'm thinking either hot dogs or chicken breasts, but please feel free to suggest what you think and why so that I can understand the logic. 2) Which post-fixative should I use and how long? 3) Are there any suggestions for the HE staining procedure? Thanks! Komal ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Re: [Histonet] Re:peggy wenk comments on HT/HTL practical - Tostick a Pin
Acceptable experience, for the on-the-job route (OJT), as defined by ASCP to sit for the HT or the HTL exam is the following: . . . you must have experience, within the last ten years, in the following areas: •Fixation •Microtomy •Processing •Staining So, the PA met the requirement: - they fix tissue in formalin and maybe something else - using a cryostat is microtomy - if they ever load the tissue on the processor, then they process (And if you think about it, freezing tissue is a type of processing - it's changing the consistency of the water in the cells) - HE is a stain The same can be said for someone working in Mohs, who only does FS and HE on skin. The same can apply to someone working in EM, who fixes with glut and osmium, uses an ultramicrotomy on resin blocks, stain with metal salts. They meet the criteria. As would someone working just in a GI lab, or with just rat tissue, or only doing IHC. There is no ASCP HT/HTL criteria of what type of tissues, what type of processing, which stains are required, how many/how fast. That allows for histotechs in many different labs working with very different tissues, stains, embedding media, microtomes, etc., to be eligible to sit for the histo exams. We don't want to make demands that are too strict, which would make a lot of people ineligible to take the exam. By making the requirements generic enough so that a lot of histotechs in a lot of different types of lab will be qualified to sit for the exam, unfortunately, there will be some people who slip in who may not really be qualified (like the PA). But remember, he had to have studied the book enough to pass the written exam. That says something. So again, it comes back to be supervisor who is thinking about hiring the person. Either have the person prove during the interview that they really can microtome paraffin blocks, do an HE, and/or coverslip. OR, use the 3 months probation and get rid of the person if they can't perform the duties of a histotech. I think most histotech supervisors are nice people, but sometimes we are too nice. We don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. We like to give people lots of chances. But sometimes, we HAVE to be the supervisor, and do what's best of the lab and the patient. Peggy Wenk -Original Message- From: Morken, Timothy Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 3:11 PM To: 'Pam Marcum' ; Emily Sours Cc: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: RE: [Histonet] Re:peggy wenk comments on HT/HTL practical - Tostick a Pin But, to take the test you need an affidavit from the pathologist that you worked in the histology lab for at least a year. So something fishy there... Tim Morken -Original Message- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Pam Marcum Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 11:54 AM To: Emily Sours Cc: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: Re: [Histonet] Re:peggy wenk comments on HT/HTL practical - To stick a Pin I will clarify. This person worked in the gross room as a PA and decided he wanted an HT. So he watched over the shoulders of the histologists and learned enough to see the basics and then studied for the exam without ever cutting or staining a slide in Histology. His theory was - I cut frozens and do HEs it won't be hard to pass a test with no practical and no one is checking to really see what I know besides what I learned in books and through acquiring testing examples so why not. Guess what it was enough and he has an HT now. I don't believe he has ever worked in the field as he is gone now and somewhere out of state. Pam - Original Message - From: Emily Sours talulahg...@gmail.com To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 12:52:43 PM Subject: Re: [Histonet] Re:peggy wenk comments on HT/HTL practical - To sticka Pin How do you become a certified HT and not have any lab experience?! That's crazy. Not that i know anything about being an HT, but I'm a lab tech and I can't imagine going into the job never having been in a lab at all. What exactly do they teach you?! Emily A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted. You should live several lives while reading it. -William Styron ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet ___ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
