More Surgical Gems The Disposable Hypodermic Needle: Further Uses Before Disposal LAW R EN C E M. FIE L D , M.D.
especially dermatohistopathologists, are frequently disconcerted and dismayed by the physical conditions o f specimens they re ceive for processing and interpretation. One such condition is distortion o f tissue caused by careless or necessitous crush o f tissues by forceps and hemostats. A good trick to avoid crush o f specim ens o f skin, especially when taken by punches, is to re-use the hypodermic needle that had been used for injection of anesthetic as a lever to elevate a punched-out speci men, and then as a holder at a proper level before severance by scalpel or scissors (Fig. 1). The specimen so skewered may then be dropped into the fixing fluid (Fig. 2) and when the bottled specimen arrives at the laboratory, the technician can continue to manipulate the specimen on the needle with whatever gentleness is still required. Another good re-use o f a hypodermic needle is to carry several specimens taken in a procedure, like e x cision o f several lesions such as nevi or morphologically H is to p a th o lo g is ts ,
différent lesions o f what appears to be a single disease entity. Such specimens, differentially tinted or num bered on a key as they are skewered like pieces of shashlik on the hypodermic needle (Fig. 3) may then be received at the laboratory easily identifiable and prop erly read. Simple maneuvers like these make life easier for pa tients, doctors, and ancillary colleagues.
F I G U R E 2. The specimen in a container pre liminary to mailing it to a laboratory.
F I G U R E 1. Specimen o f tissue on the point o f a hypodermic needle. (Note that the second object on the needle is a fixed bead that limits the depth o f insertion o f the needle .)
Dr. Field is Assistant Clinical Professor (Derm atology), Univer sity o f California, San Francisco, and is in private practice in San Luis O bispo, California.
F I G U R E 3 . Several specimens o f tissue skew ered on a hypodermic needle.
J. Dermatol. Surg. Oncol. 5:5 May 1979
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especially dermatohistopathologists, are frequently disconcerted and dismayed by the physical conditions o f specimens they re ceive for processing and interpretation. One such condition is distortion o f tissue caused by careless or necessitous crush o f tissues by forceps and hemostats. A good trick to avoid crush o f specim ens o f skin, especially when taken by punches, is to re-use the hypodermic needle that had been used for injection of anesthetic as a lever to elevate a punched-out speci men, and then as a holder at a proper level before severance by scalpel or scissors (Fig. 1). The specimen so skewered may then be dropped into the fixing fluid (Fig. 2) and when the bottled specimen arrives at the laboratory, the technician can continue to manipulate the specimen on the needle with whatever gentleness is still required. Another good re-use o f a hypodermic needle is to carry several specimens taken in a procedure, like e x cision o f several lesions such as nevi or morphologically H is to p a th o lo g is ts ,
différent lesions o f what appears to be a single disease entity. Such specimens, differentially tinted or num bered on a key as they are skewered like pieces of shashlik on the hypodermic needle (Fig. 3) may then be received at the laboratory easily identifiable and prop erly read. Simple maneuvers like these make life easier for pa tients, doctors, and ancillary colleagues.
F I G U R E 2. The specimen in a container pre liminary to mailing it to a laboratory.
F I G U R E 1. Specimen o f tissue on the point o f a hypodermic needle. (Note that the second object on the needle is a fixed bead that limits the depth o f insertion o f the needle .)
Dr. Field is Assistant Clinical Professor (Derm atology), Univer sity o f California, San Francisco, and is in private practice in San Luis O bispo, California.
F I G U R E 3 . Several specimens o f tissue skew ered on a hypodermic needle.
J. Dermatol. Surg. Oncol. 5:5 May 1979
417
