Hi Jill,

We supply formalin to the operating room. They must bring their containers
to the histo lab and fill them. Our hospital stocks small prefilled
containers of formalin for the small biopsies obtained in the clinics but
these are too small for the operating room. Since we are a small military
hospital, the commander decided that it was more cost effective for the
operating room to obtain their formalin from us since we use large volumes
of it. They must place formalin warning stickers on the containers before
they can leave the lab with them. If you work at a large facility, I would
insist that the operating room and rooms where biopsies are obtained stock
their own formalin (prefilled makes it easier). But they must have MSDS and
instructions on how to handle it, what to do in case of a spill, etc. You
know the drill. I hope that this helps.

Diane

Diane C. Gladney, HT(ASCP)
Moncrief Army Community Hospital
Dept. of Pathology, Histology Section
Ft. Jackson, SC 29207-5600



-----Original Message-----
From: Jill Songer [mailto:jtsonger@vt.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2002 11:18 AM
To: histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: formalin


OK- Here's a question for those of you in a clinical setting. Do you supply 
surgery with formalin or is surgery responsible for buying their own stock 
of formalin?

Thanks in advance.

**************************************************************************
Jill Songer HT (ASCP)
Supervisor, Anatomic Pathology
Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital
Virginia Tech