I can't imagine how that could be made "fool-proof." Mixups usually occur
anytime information has to be transferred from one item to another - ie from
paperwork to computer, paperwork to specimen bottle, specimen bottle to
cassette, slide label to slide, tissue to slide (and labeled correctly). We
do a lot of that sort of transfer in the lab and the only way I know to keep
it as error free as possible is to work on one case/specimen at a time and
double check everything. One technique is to use at least two identifiers on
everything - such as surgical number and name. That doubles your chances of
catching an error.

Tim Morken
CDC, Atlanta

-----Original Message-----
From: Ronnie Houston [mailto:Ronnie.Houston@tsrh.org]
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2001 5:05 PM
To: histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: sample ID


Does anyone have a protocol to ensure sample ID remains with the specimen
from receipt to sign-out, i.e. a "fool-proof" way to ensure that samples
don't get mixed up by the fairies?

Thanks
Ronnie

Ronnie Houston
Cytochemistry & Molecular Pathology
Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children
2222 Welborn Street
Dallas, TX 75219
USA
(214) 559 7744
(214) 559 7768 - fax
ronnie.houston@tsrh.org