Robin K Ryan wrote:
>
> Dear Histonetters,
>
> I have been following the conversations concerning the saccomano's fluid
> and have a question to ask (at the risk of showing my ignorance).  I tried
> the fluid quite a few years back and the pathologists were unhappy with it
> because when we used it we could not recover a cell block from the
> specimen.  We are primarily histology but like many other histology labs,
> we do the preps on the non-gyn specimens.  We do quite a lot of special
> stains on sputum cell blocks (fungus, AFB and gram) and we have been able
> to pick up organisms in the cell blocks when they did not show up on the
> smears.  I would welcome any advice on doing the preps using this fixative
> as the fluid we spin our specimens down in is not optimum.  Did I use the
> fluid incorrectly or does it truly get rid of material that makes the cell
> blocks (fibrin?)  Do you use it on other non-gyn specimens also (oops, two
> questions-now I really showed my ignorance).
>
> Kaye Ryan
> Shands at AGH
> Gainesville, Fla.

Hello Robin,
In our lab, after the Saccomanno fixative has been added,we blend the
sputum for a few seconds in the blender. Afterwards,we make smears,
then we spray with cytospray. You can put the slides in 95% alcohol if
you do not have the cytospray. For processing you just dehydrate and
take down to water and start your special stains or continue your
pap processing for sputum.
We do not have any problems with the fixative. You may ask the Micro
dept. to handle the sample first to do AFB cultures,if that's the case,
the fixative should not be added until they have gotten it first.
Good luck!
B.A. Murray,HT(ASCP)
The Alaska Native Medical Center
Anchorage,Alaska