RE: CJD

From:"Cheasty, Sandra"

I would certainly initiate an incident report re: the communication deficiency between attending physician/surgeon/O.R. and the pathology lab.  Submitting departments must be held responsible for safely submitting all specimens to our labs. I recently received a breast biopsy with the localization wire and un-sheathed needle still attached. It was submitted fresh, in a ziplock specimen bag... Fortunately the nurse, courier, accessioner and grosser-de jour (myself) were not impaled.

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	ander093@tc.umn.edu [mailto:ander093@gold.tc.umn.edu] 
Sent:	Tuesday, October 29, 2002 11:21
To:	Juanita.X.Brody@kp.org; histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject:	Re: CJD

Responding to the message of 

from "Brody,Juanita X" :

Hi Juanita,
Unfortunately, you can not completely decontaminate. Best is to empty all 
containers on your processor into plastic waste bottles, double bag and wipe 
down outside with bleach. Fill empty containers with bleach (full strength) or 
1N NaOH and let sit overnight. Wipe down the microtome with bleach or 1N NaOH, 
but be sure to rinse well as both are very corrosive. I have always changed out 
the embedding center paraffin and wiped down all surfaces which may have been 
contaminated. If your water bath has a glass dish, soak that overnight in bleach
as well.
All CJD waste must be incinerated. Also, here at least, the custodians and 
anyone else who may come into contact MUST be told that this is CJD waste and 
instructed on how to dispose of it. Under NO circumstances should it be put into
a landfill....autoclaved or not!!! We ran into this problem here, because 
Someone decided that we did not need incineration services anymore and 
contracted for autoclaving only and putting in landfill (DUMB!!!!). That is 
until we had a CJD case. THey actually had to track the trash pickup to another 
state...and arrange for incineration. Really a mess!!! IF you have any other 
questions, feel free to contact me. We do most of the CJD cases for the State. 
Good luck.

LuAnn Anderson HT(ASCP)
University of MInnesota
Neuropathology Lab

> 
> We processed a brain bopsy and was told 2 days later it was CJD.  How do you 
> decontaminate the micrtotome , processor , and embedding center? 
> Thanks
> 
> 
> .







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