Terry,
You may find that you can cut some of the fixation time.  Try this.
Methonal fixation at 3 minutes.  If the atomspheric condition is humid, try
using 2 methanol fixatives at 3 minutes each, rotating them out as frequesntly
as needed in accordance to these conditions.

Your correct, some people think  methanol fixation is not needed because it is
in the stain but it is not a good idea.  The methanol along with the stain will
undergo some changes once the bottle is open.  This stain is also hygroscopic.
Rande Kline, HT (ASCP)
Technical Services
EM Science/BDH




Terry.Marshall@rgh-tr.trent.nhs.uk on 03/20/2000 02:35:56 PM

To:   DGoodwin@CHSNJ.org, HistoNet@Pathology.swmed.edu
cc:    (bcc: Rande Kline/EMI/Merck)
Subject:  RE: Fixation of BM smears for Wright/ Giemsa



Air dry
Fix in methanol - 20mins!
Stain


Since the stain is in alcohol, some leave out the  fixative stage, on the 'fix
as you stain' basis.
To actually advocate (as opposed to having the antipodean, 'she'll be right'
attitude) leaving out the fixation, is weird.

Terry L Marshall
Rotherham General Hospital, Yorkshire


-----Original Message-----
From: p=NHS NATIONAL INT;a=NHS;c=GB;dda:RFC-822=DGoodwin(a)CHSNJ.org;
Sent: 20 March 2000 19:24
To: p=NHS NATIONAL
INT;a=NHS;c=GB;dda:RFC-822=HistoNet(a)Pathology.swmed.edu;
Subject: Fixation of BM smears for Wright/ Giemsa


Good Morning, Histonet!   Happy Spring 2000!

Our lab has always been accustomed to fixing bone marrow smears in
methanol prior to staining for Fe and with Wright -Giemsa.

We now have a new director who advocates air-drying only.

I have been unable to find a reference for this subject, so I defer to
the think-tank at Histonet.

Any takers?


Diana Goodwin,  HT
Trenton,  NJ