Following the Buckhead shootings last year - we wrote a policy to the effect
that any risk management specimen, such as bullets, could be released
directly to law enforcement personnel if they were present at the time of
the surgery. Any other specimen/devise is described by the pathologist and
released to our Risk Management department. These specimens are placed in a
lock box in the OR and switched to a lock box in Histology. Logs are signed
along the way to document the chain of custody. 

Joyce Weems
Pathology Manager
Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta


	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Barnhart, Tammy [SMTP:Tbarnhart@primecare.org]
	Sent:	Thursday, March 29, 2001 7:55 AM
	To:	histonet@pathology. swmed. edu (E-mail)
	Subject:	Medical Devices

	I was wondering how other labs handle medical devices sent from
surgery.  We
	have had a policy not to receive these devices because we don't
really know
	the condition they were in when they were removed form the patient.
We have
	felt the op report was a better way to document the removal and
condition of
	these devices.  However, we are curious about the standard of
practice in
	other labs.  Any and all replies would be welcome!

	Tammy Barnhart, BS, HTL (ASCP)
	Supervisor, Anatomic Pathology Department
	St. Alexius Medical Center
	Bismarck, ND
	tbarnhart@primecare.org