Another suggestion:

Pull a bunch of previously cut/stained stained cases (like
a hundred or more). Look at how many you were able to make 
a diagnosis with on the first one or two levels. I bet you, 
statistically, there were few, if any cases, that required 
that 5th level.  (Then write up a paper on this, submit it 
to a journal, and allow the rest of use to refer to your work 
as justification for the number of levels required. ;-)    )

************************

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)
William Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073



BAKER.ONALY_R@TAMPA.VA.GOV wrote:
> 
> THIS IS MY FIRST ATTEMPT TO PARTICIPATE WITH ALL OF YOU AND THIS IS WHAT I
> WANT TO KNOW. I AM THE HISTOLOGY SUPERVISOR AT THE TAMPA VA HOSPITAL AND
> OF COURSE WE HAVE A VERY LARGE MALE PATIENT POPULATION. IN THE LAST YEAR,
> SINCE THE POPULARITY OF THE PSA TEST HAS INCREASED, THE INFLUX OF "6 PACK"
> PROSTATE NEEDLE BXS HAS EXPLODED. OUR CURRENT CUTTING PROTOCOL IS TO TAKE
> 5 LEVELS AT 3 MICRONS, STAIN L1, L3, & L5 H&E AND SAVE L2 & L4 FOR
> POSSIBLE KERATIN 903 IHC STAINING. THIS REQUIRES 30 SLIDES PER CASE AND
> OUR WORST DAY SO FAR WAS 11 CASES (330 SECTIONS)! THE NUMBER OF TIMES WE
> ACTUALLY DO KERATIN 903 IS VERY LOW AND I AM TRYING TO CONVINCE THE
> PATHOLOGISTS TO AT LEAST ELIMINATE THE UNSTAINED SLIDES AND ONLY DO 3 H&E
> LEVELS. OF COURSE I DO NOT WANT TO DO LESS THAN THE STANDARD OF CARE IN
> PRIVATE HOSPITALS. SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND IF YOU
> ALSO SEE AN INCREASE OF THIS TYPE OF SPECIMEN. DO YOUR PHYSICIANS COLLECT
> THE SPECIMENS IN 2 CONTAINERS WITH APEX, MID, AND BASE FROM LEFT OR RIGHT
> IN EACH OR DO THEY SEND THEM SEPARATELY LIKE OURS AS 6 SPECIMENS?