Wow, Sara - sounds like you got hold of the,  "I'm going to find something
wrong in this lab or I'm not doing my job properly" inspector.   The
statement that concerned me most was:

<She said full PPE was essential because the blocks and slides were
> considered infectious. So of course I said "At what point does the slide
> and/or block ever become non-infectious-when it reaches the pathologist?"
> She said "They should continue to be considered infectious and that the
> pathologist should be wearing lab coats when they read out slides.>

So...I've been out and away from CAP inspections(YEAH)  for ten years but
we didn't use to consider slide and blocks infectious.  How has this
changed?  These are tissues that have been fixed and processed through
chemicals - right?  What and where is the infectious agent(s) that could
possibly be in blocks and slides ( forgetting CJD from  CNS cases - which
most clinical labs do not handle) that have been properly fixed and
processed?  References PLEASE - anyone!
	Was this a Phase I or Phase II deficiency?  Do they still use this
term?
	Linda

*********************************
Linda Jenkins, HT
Clemson University
Department of Bioengineering
864.656.5553
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