Dear Greg,
     I'm glad I don't have to assist on  bone marrow biopsies anymore.  Our technique was to aspirate into a untreated syringe, a small amount of aspirate  was dripped down a slide, the rest was put into a heparin tube.  The smears were made from the spicules off the slide.  The rest of the sample was filtered through lens paper back in the lab and usually it was all spicules and no clot if it was done right.  I saw my first bone marrow biopsy when I was 6 months pregnant and I thought I was going to pass out.  I worked with a pathologist that prided himself on a 5 minute biopsy, in and out of the room in 5 minutes.  Guess he needed to get back to finish counting his money or something.  Anyway, don't miss it a bit.  I never had time to do the smears, he was always rushing me and I had to help him put the pressure bandage on and hold the patient's hand.  Whew, makes me tired just thinking about it.  
   Best wishes, Sarah

Sarah Christo, HT (ASCP)
Research Associate, Histology Lab
Texas A&M University
College of Veterinary Medicine
Dept. of Vet Anatomy & Public Health
College Station, TX  77843-4458
phone: (979) 845-3177
fax:  (979) 458-3499

>>> greg tesdall <gtesdall@yahoo.com> 09/22/00 10:10AM >>>
I would like some input on Bone Marrow technique. We
currently aspirate with a heparin treated syringe then
make  smears and filter the remaining aspirate and
embedd for sectioning. We stain the smears on a hemo
stainer that is set up with a modified Romanowsky.
Pathologist #3 doesn't like the fact that everything
looks blue and thinks its the Heparin. We did the most
recent aspirate without Heparin and he likes the stain
better because the myeloid granules stain a nice red.
Pathologist #1 and #2 prefer not having to look
through the clot and like the filtered spicules. Any
suggestions.  What techniques you are using. Perhaps a
different but quick stain with the Heparin treated
aspirate? Thanks. Greg.

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