Hi Tammy,

For Gram stain controls I simply make up a fibrin clot  with cultures of
both gram pos cocci and gram neg rods and process it - the fibrin gives a
bit of a background to the stain and the organisms stand out well - I also
do the same with AFB's for ZN controls...(Fibrin clot technique = one drop
of normal plasma with a couple of micro loops of bacteria mixed in. Add one
or two drops of thrombin, mix and wait a few minutes for it to "set" before
sticking it in formalin. Colour it with a dab of mercurochrome so you can
find it to embed it!)

Andrew Kennedy

Senior Science Officer in charge - Histopathology.
Department of Anatomical Pathology
Concord Repatriation General Hospital
Hospital Road
Concord, NSW, Australia
2139
Phone: +612 9767 6115
Fax: +612 9767 8427

"Noli illegitimi carborundum"

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