Hi Cindy,

Here's my 2 cents worth. This may not apply to you at all, but bear
in mind that mercury containing fixatives will  hinder any
molecular techniques such as PCR or in situ hybridization. Can't you
use this as a lever.

Louise taylor
SAIMR
South Africa



On  2 Oct 98 at 9:43, Tim Morken wrote:

> 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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