Based in New Jersey, Scimedico LLC delivers preventive maintenance solutions to lab facilities in areas such as pathology and necropsy. The Scimedico LLC team also has expertise in maintaining proper hygiene and medical compliance in settings such as hospitals and clinical labs. As explored in a 2022 Scimedico Engagement article, Scimedico LLC’s focus includes minimizing risk factors and taking preventive measures for tuberculosis (TB) exposure and frozen sectioning.
The latter is a process by which fresh tissue samples are quickly frozen and sliced and prepared for pathology analysis. This is typically undertaken in situations where the patient is actively undergoing surgery. It enables physicians to make informed on-the-spot decisions. A downside of frozen sectioning is that it presents major time constraints related to the processing of fresh tissue. This increases disease transmission risks from the tissue sample to health care staff. Indeed, frozen section lab workers have one of the highest infection exposure rates across the surgical pathology field. Tuberculosis presents a particularly significant danger. Mitigating TB transmission risk starts with performing work with TB-infected samples in a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) lab setting. This mandates that experiments be performed in biosafety cabinets, within an environment designed for quick decontamination. BSL-3 labs must be equipped with directional air flow setups that prevent air in the lab from entering hallways and surrounding environments. Additionally, lab workers must wear personal protective equipment (PPE) that includes an N95 or N100 respirator and disposable gloves and gowns. These pieces of PPE must be removed when leaving the lab and placed in dedicated bags for disposal. Because the presence of TB in a sample isn’t always known in advance, all healthcare workers should also undergo baseline TB screenings in cases where potential TB sample exposure has occurred. Post-exposure tests are performed twice, after the frozen sectioning is completed and eight to ten weeks following the time of exposure risk.
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AuthorWest Orange, New Jersey’s Scimedico, LLC - Life Sciences Lab Services. Archives
September 2023
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