Processing/Embedding Issues Flashcards
1
Q
What is improper dehydration?
A
Tissue will appear mushy or be soft in the middle and smell like formalin
2
Q
How do you fix improper dehydration?
A
- Xylene to remove wax
- 100% alcohol to remove xylene
- Several changes of 100% alcohol to remove water in tissue
- Xylene to clear alcohol
- Paraffin to re-impregnate tissue
3
Q
What is improper clearing?
A
Tissue will appear cloudy, soft in consistency and smell like alcohol
4
Q
How do you fix improper clearing?
A
- Xylene to remove paraffin
- 2 changes of xylene to remove alcohol
- re-impregnate to with paraffin wax
5
Q
What is improper filtration?
A
Tissue will be mushy, soft to the touch, smell like xylene
6
Q
How do you fix improper filtration?
A
2-3 changes of fresh wax
7
Q
What causes mushy tissue?
A
- Tissue cut too thick during grossing so it cannot be processed properly
- Technical problems with the processor
- Time was not adequate in the processor
8
Q
How can you fix/prevent mushy tissue?
A
- Ensure tissues are the appropriate size for fixation
- Check scheduled maintenance of processor
9
Q
What is the cause of embedding not being flat?
A
- Tissue floating in wax
- Not holding down the tissue firmly in mold
- Letting wax harden
10
Q
How can you fix embedding not being flat?
A
- Hold tissue down firmly and uniformly
- Work quickly to embed the tissue before the wax can harden
11
Q
How can you prevent tissue carryover?
A
- Clean forceps between use
- Only open one cassette at a time
