Question regarding bone marrow samples

From: Virginia M Litwin (virginia.litwin@bms.com)
Date: Wed Aug 30 2000 - 07:40:33 EST 

All:
I am forwarding this question that I received regarding bone
marrow samples.  I have no experience with bone marrow.  Can
anyone respond to Judith's question?
Thanks,
Virginia

attached mail follows:

Hi I read your comments on ACD in the Purdue message board. I wonder if you can explain this. I work on blood and bone marrow specimens, usually with EDTA. Blood is no problem but bone marrow can really be awful. Occasionally, like today, a bone marrow sample that i got from antoher hospital looks like it has jelly- fied. it is not clotted. just STICKY as can be and pretty impossible to work with. Since i got the sample still in the syringe (with a cap on it) i strongly suspect the anticoagulant is heparin. because bone marrow is not an easy procedure i tried to salvage some cells. I usually q-prep or ammoniaum chloride, but this time only ficol saved a few but most of the cells were gone. questions: what anticoagulant do you prefer for bone marrow samples? have you come accross this phenomenon and can you explain it. is there anything i can do to salvage the sample. thanks for your time judith chezar Israel

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