Tim,

I agree, but while you are about it include, in the inservice,
information on the hazards of Zinc!

Bryan

>----------
>From: 	Tim Morken[SMTP:timcdc@hotmail.com]
>Sent: 	October 2, 1998 8:43 AM
>To: 	chiggerson@memhosp.com
>Cc: 	HistoNet@Pathology.swmed.edu
>Subject: 	Re: B-5 Fixative Substitutes
>
>Cindy,
>
>You have to approach this from three directions.
>
>The pathologists are reluctant to change because
>
>1) they aren't convinced the replacement fixed tissue slides look as
>"good" as the B-5 fixed tissue.
>
>2) They have no idea, or don't care, how dangerous mercury is, both to
>the environment and to the lab workers.
>
>3) They are clueless as to what it costs to dispose of
>mercury-contaminated reagents.
>
>First, do a blinded study in which several cases are fixed using all the
>fixatives and then present the slides to the pathologists, without any
>indication of which was fixed with which fixative, and have them tell
>you which prep is not good enough for the purpose. This should prove
>that a B-5 replacement is at least as good a B-5.
>
>Second, have your institution's risk control officer do an inservice on
>the problem of mercury in the environment, and it's effect on lab
>workers. Pathologists are required to attend, of course.
>
>Third, have your waste control people do an in service on waste disposal
>and the cost of disposing of all the types of waste you produce,
>emphasising the out-of- proportion cost of mercury disposal. Be sure to
>include all waste contaminated by mercury - which is any chemical
>down-stream from the place where the mercury reagent is.
>
>If, after all that, they are still reluctant to switch, quit the job and
>find a place where intelligent people are in charge!
>
>Tim Morken, B.S., EMT(MSA), HTL(ASCP)
>Infectious Disease Pathology
>Centers for Disease Control
>MS-G32
>1600 Clifton Rd.
>Atlanta, GA 30333
>USA
>
>email: tim9@cdc.gov
>       timcdc@hotmail.com
>
>FAX:  (404)639-3043
>
>
>
>----Original Message Follows----
>Date: Thu, 01 Oct 1998 14:33:01 -0500
>From: Cindy Higgerson <chiggerson@memhosp.com>
>Subject: B-5 Fixative Substitutes
>To: HistoNet@Pathology.swmed.edu
>
>Hi Histonetters!
>
>I need help from those of you lucky enough to have convinced your
>pathologists to get rid of B-5 and use a substitute instead. We are
>still using B-5 and would like to eliminate it. We have obtained several
>samples of B-5 substitutes from different companies and have given our
>Pathologists lymph node slides using these fixatives to evaluate.  The
>slides look great, however they are still reluctant to eliminate the
>B-5.
>
>I would like to hear what fixatives are being used, how you convinced
>them to eliminate B-5, any pros or cons to any of the fixatives, and any
>problems you have had with any of the substitutes. Any information would
>be greatly appreciated.
>
>The substitutes we have tried are AZF by Newcomer, Zinc chloride by
>Newcomer, Z-5 by Anatech, Zinc chloride by Polyscientific, and Zinc
>Formalin by Stephens Scientific.
>
>Cindy Higgerson HTL (ASCP)
>Pathology Supervisor
>Memorial Hospital
>Belleville, Illinois
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>