In message
<[log in to unmask]>
, [log in to unmask] writes
>
> Dear Colleagues,
>
> Thankyou to those who replied to my first posting about pouring serum.
>
> However, I was a little disappointed at the small number of responses to
> the specific questions I posed. Is this because we feel that our methods
> might be open to criticism if made public? I really would like to know how
> isolated (or otherwise) we are in our practice of pouring and whether
> Health and Safety or other practical considerations are driving the choice
> of method.
>
> In case you have lost the original posting I repeat it below in the hope that
> a few more of you may respond.
>
> Brian Senior
> Royal Bolton Hospital
> Bolton
> Greater Manchester
> BL4 0JR
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> We have been having a "debate" across pathology about the appropriate
> way to aliquot specimens for multiple destinations (different lab sections or
> external specialist labs) taking account of Health & Safety risks.
>
> Since we started using "gel" tubes it has become customary to pour an
> aliquot of serum into a separate tube. Originally this avoided use of glass
> pipettes which were a hazard, but even with plastic pipettes the possibility
> of an aerosol on pipetting was thought to be a hazard particularly in a very
> busy lab where it is done quickly.
>
> Apparently the HSE and other safety bodies do not consider pouring to be
> acceptable. They quote the "Howie" code which goes back a long time and
> which pre-dated the use of "gel" tubes so that pouring was difficult
> anyway.
>
> I am interested to know from others:
>
> 1. Do you pour or pipette aliquots of serum from "gel" tubes after
> centrifugation?
Pour
> 2. Do you know of any evidence comparing the safety of pouring v
> pipetting so that we can take evidence-based decisions?
No - but you set us thinking - hence the lack of reply previously
(+pre-Christmas rush !)
>
>
Trevor
--
Trevor Gray
Dept. of Clinical Chemistry,
Northern General Hospital,
Sheffield S5 7AU
0114 271 4309
|