Specimen retention Flashcards
Copies of report distribution
3 copies; 1 doctor, patient = original, file
Types of reports
Surgical pathology, Cytopathology, Autopsy
Request form signatories
Patient’s doctor
Result form signatories
Pathologist
Surgical pathology & cytology turnover time
24 hours
Frozen section turnover time
5-15 minutes
Autopsy report turnover time
1 week (Autopsy procedure: 24 hours)
Specimen (tissue) storage duration
1 month to 1 year
Tissue blocks (paraffin) storage duration
3 to 10 years
Slides storage duration
Indefinitely
Record of requisition can be retained for
2 years
QC records can be retained for
2 years
Instrument maintenance records can be retained for
2 years
BB QC records can be retained for
5 years
BB employee signatures can be retained for
10 years
BB donor/recipient records can be retained for
Indefinitely
Clinical pathology lab reports can be retained for
2 years
Surgical pathology (and BM) reports can be retained for
10 years
Cytogenetics reports can be retained for
20 years
Autopsy forensic reports can be retained for
Indefinitely
Specimen (tissue) can be stored for
1 month to 1 year
Tissue blocks (paraffin) can be stored for
3 to 10 years
Slides can be stored for
Indefinitely
Serum/other body fluids can be retained for
48 hours
Blood smears (routine) can be retained for
7 days
Microbiology smears can be retained for
7 days
BB donor/recipient specimens can be retained for
7 days post-transfusion
Pathology/BM slides can be stored for
10 years
Pathology blocks can be stored for
10 years
Cytogenetic slides can be stored for
3 years
Cytogenetics diagnostic images can be stored for
20 years
Body fluids (forensic cases) can be retained for
1 year
Tissue for toxicology (forensic cases) can be retained for
1 year
Wet tissues (forensic cases) can be retained for
3 years
Paraffin blocks (forensic cases) can be stored for
Indefinitely
Slides (forensic cases) can be stored for
Indefinitely
Reports (forensic cases) can be stored for
Indefinitely
Gross photographs/negatives (forensic cases) can be stored for
Indefinitely
Dried blood films (forensic cases) can be stored for
Indefinitely
Frozen tissue for DNA (forensic cases) can be stored for
Indefinitely