We also have this problem occasionally. We have found the culprit to be
exposure to formalin. Even exposure to the fumes will cause this to
happen.

Rae Ann Staskiewicz
Galesburg Animal Disease Lab
Galesburg, IL

George, Cheryl wrote:
> 
> 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