My guess would be that you're getting contaminants (bacterial or otherwise) from your water baths...

Just my two cents worth.

Aidan


__

aidan schurr  b.m.l.sc
section head, histology
hutt valley district health board
lower hutt
new zealand

aidan.schurr@hvh.co.nz
++64 4 570 9173

>>> Noreen Gilman  4/01/2002 >>>
Hello everyone in histoland.  I've got an unusual problem and I hope you guys can help me.
My pathologist claims that when we do an AFB, some of the bacillus from the positive control "jumps" onto the patient slide and contaminates it. He claims he sees stray bacillus on the slides surrounding the control tissue, and he thinks he see them on the patient slide as well. I have tried several ways of doing this stain and at first thought the tubing on our sink was contaminated. We changed the tubing and used only distilled water, and he still insists they are there.  I have never had a problem like this before. I'm at my wits end. Any suggestion are very welcome.
Noreen

Noreen S. Gilman, HT (ASCP) CLS
Broward General Medical Center
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 3316
954-355-5592 Phone
954-355-4139 Fax
ngilman@nbhd.org