In the fall of 2007, a discussion thread on the Clinical Laboratory Educators’ Listserv involved "recipes" that could be used in place of buying reagents. For example, how can you make your own Coombs control cells? In November, 2007, Dan Southern, West Carolina University, ret. challenged "the ESA to publish a recipe book for Urinalysis by collecting ideas from contributing educators." His challenge was expanded to include "mock feces, spinal fluids and any other body fluid that we have trouble getting now days. I was not necessarily suggesting publishing a book, but rather compiling ideas that are flying in on the list now and making it available to educators now and in the future. Those of you who have been in the business for a while know how to fix up fake specimens that serve the purpose for students in on-campus labs. We know what will work and not work."

On March 3, 2008, I decided to take up the challenge. "Back in November, Dan Southern suggested that we compile a collection of "recipes for mock feces, spinal fluids and any other body fluid that we have trouble getting now days". I have given it a lot of thought, and I really want to do this. I will be more than happy to try to put this together. I am not sure of the final format. It could evolve depending on what we decide to share. I would like, however, to expand the challenge to lab preps in general. As I have gotten older, I rely on my written preps like a recipe. Maybe these can be shared as well. I envision sections related to individual lab disciplines, so we could have a parasitology section and a mycology section, etc." I don't see this as a moneymaking scheme, but a way to share resources as they are dwindling. It also may help new faculty who don't have the access or the time to make their own.

I tried to get information from ASCLS to see if they could help with start up funding, but did not get a reply, so I will just do it on my own with, perhaps, some seed money from Salisbury University.

If you have any procedures for laboratory preps or recipes for fake specimens, please share them with your colleagues via this route. I plan to make it into a hard copy publication, and I want to put it on the web. It would be wonderful if contributors could provide some narrative information for background. This could include how and why they use it. This could also include good stories of how using the procedure or prep was helpful or funny. You may also want to provide an age group where use of it was successful for those needing/using recruitment techniques.

I’m also interested in posting a list of things we need to know how to make, but we can’t. Perhaps someone out there can contribute knowing it’s needed.

Thanks in advance for your help. I’m looking forward to receiving your contribution.  If you want to contribute, just download the submission form, fill it out and email it back.

Johanna W. Laird, M.S., MT(ASCP) CLS(NCA)

Director, Program in Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology

312 Devilbiss Hall

Salisbury University

1101 Camden Avenue

Salisbury, MD 21801

410-513-6364 (phone)

410-578-9185 (FAX)