Scribd
Upload
214 views

Specimen Handling in Patho Lab

This document provides instructions for properly handling, transporting, and fixing surgical pathology specimens to ensure optimal histopathological examination. Specimens must be placed in adequate volume of 10% neutral buffered formalin, except for certain specimens requiring special fixatives. Transport containers should be leak-proof and large enough to fully submerge specimens in fixative. Proper handling and transport are necessary to preserve specimen integrity and allow for accurate diagnosis.

Uploaded by

claimstudent3515
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
214 views

Specimen Handling in Patho Lab

This document provides instructions for properly handling, transporting, and fixing surgical pathology specimens to ensure optimal histopathological examination. Specimens must be placed in adequate volume of 10% neutral buffered formalin, except for certain specimens requiring special fixatives. Transport containers should be leak-proof and large enough to fully submerge specimens in fixative. Proper handling and transport are necessary to preserve specimen integrity and allow for accurate diagnosis.

Uploaded by

claimstudent3515
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 23

SPECIMEN HANDLING AND

TRANSPORT TO PATHOLOGY LAB


Handling Surgical Pathology Specimens
• These include instructions for collection and transport of
histopathology specimens of different sizes to ensure optimal tissue
fixation as well as accurate documenting, and inclusion of clinical
information in the request form that may be needed to aid
histopathological diagnosis.
SPECIMEN FIXATION
• The fixation step entails 3 elements:

• Thickness of tissue

• Volume of fixative

• Time for fixation


• Failure to optimize all 3 of these elements results in underfixation or
overfixation of the tissue.

• Both overfixation and underfixation result in degradation of the


specimen after paraffin infiltration, and they hinder diagnosis by the
pathologist by altering histomorphology and immunoreactivity.

• Formalin penetrates tissue at an average rate of 1 mm/ h, but this rate


can vary depending on tissue type.
SUFFICIENT VOLUME OF FIXATIVE

• An adequate amount of fixative is usually considered to be 15 to 20


times the volume of the tissue.

• If a specimen is received in saline, this should be discarded prior to


adding fixative. Fixative contaminated with blood or other fluids will
be diluted and will not fix tissues well.
Situations where the specimen
should be sent in a special fixative
• All specimens must be received fixed in 10% neutral buffered
formalin EXCEPT for the following:
1. Testicular biopsies should be sent in Bouin’s solution if possible, for
better preservation of microscopic detail
2. Frozen section-unfixed, fresh state.
3. Immunofluorescence – (Renal and Skin biopsies) either in saline or
liquid nitrogen.
4. Electron microscopy- 2% glutaraldehyde solution in the cold after
excision.
TYPE OF CONTAINER
Small Biopsy Samples

• The specimen should be collected into a wide mouthed container


with a well-fitting lid containing an adequate amount of 10%formalin
to completely submerge the specimen.
• If multiple biopsies are sent from the same patient each specimen
should be sent in a separate container indicating the sites of biopsy
• Endoscopic biopsies should be placed on a filter paper and then
submerged in fixative
Large Specimens

• The specimen should be placed in a wide mouthed container with a


well-fitting lid, containing an adequate amount of 10% (formalin) to
completely submerge the specimen.

• The container should be larger than the specimen, preferably a


bucket (Do not squeeze the specimen into the container)
• Slicing the specimen is not recommended in general, except where
specifically allowed in certain situations because the sliced specimen
distorts on fixation, and accurate measurement of distance of the
lesion (especially a tumour) to excision margins etc., maybe difficult
to assess once the specimen is sliced.

• Specimens should be transported to the laboratory as soon as


possible for proper fixation procedures to be carried out
Handling Microbiology Specimens

• Any specimen to be cultured should be handled according to the


guidelines of the Clinical Laboratory Microbiology Department.

• Sterile technique in collecting and transporting these specimens is


essential.

• Fluids should be placed in sterile containers, not in swab tubes. Tissue or


tissue fragments are preferred over swabs for culture, as the yield for
micro-organisms is better.
• However, if swabs must be utilized, the swab should not be allowed
to dry out. If anaerobes are suspected, the correct anaerobic swab
and transport media should be used.

• Tissue and fluid specimens submitted from the floors for both culture
and Pathology examination must be placed in a sterile container
without fixative and immediately transported to the Clinical
Laboratory.

• All specimens must be accompanied by a completed requisition.

You might also like