We keep our blocks for 5 years, then throw out the  "unimportant"
blocks - tonsils, gall bladders, most non-cancerous anything
(uterus with leiomyoma, etc.), etc.

We keep kidney biopsies, liver biopsies, most cancers.

Yes, these are noted when reported as to "keep." And
someone has to go through and manually pull the blocks
to be thrown away at the end of the 5 years. Usually,
that's our diener, on the days there are no autopsies.
We end up keeping about 1/3 the blocks.

Slides are forever.

And yes, this is a lot of blocks and slides. Last
year we did 57,000+ cases. So you can imagine
the number of blocks and slides.

We rent space from a storage warehouse. When we need
something, we call down, they pull it, and drive it
out to us. Same on the pick up.

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)
William Beaumount Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073


.
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Sheila Poellein [SMTP:sheila_poellein@deaconess.com]
> > Sent: Monday, May 15, 2000 2:10 PM
> > To:   'histonet'
> > Subject:      paraffin block storage
> >
> > CAP regulations state that paraffin blocks should be retained for 5 years.
> > In a recent CAP Today, it was suggested that this time  be extended for
> > either all blocks or tumor blocks because of the potential for new testing
> > capabilites (for example her 2-neu) that might be developed.  We have
> > limited storage space as well as spare time to keep two filing systems for
> > blocks.  I would appreciate all comments on this issue, do you keep longer
> > than 5 years or not?, if you do what system do you have in place?  all
> > blocks or selective blocks?
> >
> > thanks,
> > Sheila
> >