Delay in staining the smears can result in less than optimal staining.  Have
the hospital stain a couple before they send them to you and them stain some
at your facility.  Compare the results of the staining.

> ----------
> From: 	George, Cheryl[SMTP:cgerorge@optima.org]
> Sent: 	Thursday, October 12, 2000 2:24 PM
> To: 	'histonet@pathology.swmed.edu'
> Subject: 	Blue staining on smears
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I have a question.  One of the hospitals that sends us bone marrow smears
> (they send the unstained smears which are stained here using
> Wright-Giemsa)
> continually come out blue.  They claim that they are not using a
> pretreated
> slide or anything unusual but even if we stain them side-by-side with one
> of
> our own, ours come out purple and theirs are still blue.  Could an EDTA
> tube
> be the problem?  I could sure use your help.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> 
> Cheryl George, HT (ASCP)
> Anatomic Pathology Supervisor
> NHML
> (603)663-2686
> cgerorge@optima.org
>