The Sheehan book has a chart in the chapter on embedding, and I think Dr.
Carson's book does as well.
Wanda Shotsberger
(HT ASCP)


-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Ball [mailto:histo007@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2000 2:51 PM
To: histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Embedding


Is there any literature on the market that shows how different tissues
should be orientated in a block for proper cutting. I have been a tech for
25 years and have always taken great pride in having tissue orientated and
embedded properly. The hospital I am currently working for the techs seem to
only be interested in packing the molds with the as much tissue as possible,
not to mention the chaotic arrangement of the tissue. I had only experienced
this phenomenon before with pathologist trying to over fill cassettes. I
really believe some one should put out a chart showing a properly cast skin
sample, a gall bladder, a colon specimen, etc. I'am sure you have all seen
the charts they use at repair garage when they bring out one of you spark
plugs and compare it with a plug on a chart and tell you your motor needs
rebuilt.
     I can stand there all day and argue with them, but I would first like
to have some visual as well as written evidence to back my arguments. I seem
to remember the AFIP manual having some drawings of how tissue should be
arranged, but if anyone has any other sources they wold like to share I
would be in your debt. I won,t go in to the practice of putting the blocks
on ice trays and leaving them in the freezer for any where from 15 to 30
minutes before retrieving for sectioning. Should any one wish to do a chart
I can furnish a ton of pictures on how not to embedd tissue.
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