Prevalence of Skin Cancer among Beachgoers in Israel.

We assessed the prevalence of suspected skin lesions among beachgoers with dermatoscopy and evaluated their compliance with recommendations. This was conducted as a screening activity at a beach in central Israel. A dermatoscopy specialist evaluated beachgoers and maintained follow-up with them to ascertain compliance with recommendations. In all, 296 participants were screened. Normal examination was observed in 251 (85%), while a malignant finding was suspected in 12 (4%). Compliance with recommendations for excision was moderately low, with 8 of the 14 patients complying with recommendations. Skin malignancy is prevalent in local beachgoing population. Voluntary projects increase awareness in youngsters and deliver accessible screening to the older population. We believe that screening activities must be increased due to high attendance, yet close follow-up must be maintained due to intermediate compliance with medical recommendations.

An intervention study to reduce the loss of pathology specimens.

BACKGROUND: loss of an excised lesion can have devastating clinical and legal consequences. Previously, the incidence of pathological specimen loss was 1/1466 (0.07%) due to failure to place pathology specimens in correctly labeled containers. We theorized that a strict protocol for handling specimens would help reduce losses. OBJECTIVES: To devise a protocol to reduce the loss of pathology specimens. METHODS: In this study, 7105 specimens excised by one plastic surgeon were sent to the pathology laboratory using a strict protocol, which included: using a carefully labeled specimen container, inserting the specimen into the container immediately after excision (not at the end of the procedure), positioning the specimen container close to the surgical field during the surgery, and both the nurse and surgeon signing their names on the container at the end of the procedure to confirm the contents and labeling. RESULTS: One Mohs specimen was accidentally thrown away by a pathology laboratory technician after the frozen section report was written (an incidence of 1/7105, 0.00014%). All specimens arrived at the pathology department and no lesions were lost in the operating room. CONCLUSIONS: A strict written protocol for specimen handling significantly reduces loss of pathology specimens.

The loss of pathological specimens: incidence and causes.

BACKGROUND: Tissue biopsy loss can have devastating clinical and legal consequences. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence and cause of tissue biopsy loss. METHODS & MATERIALS: The study followed biopsy specimens taken by one plastic surgeon in an outpatient clinic between October 2001 and April 2005. Four thousand two hundred minor surgical procedures were performed, and 4,400 biopsy specimens were sent to pathology. In case of specimen loss, a formal investigation was performed. RESULTS: Five specimens were reported as lost during the period. Two were retrieved, two were lost probably because of failure to insert the pathology specimen into the container, and one was lost in the pathology laboratory during processing. Overall incidence of specimen loss was 1 in 1,466 (0.068%). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we identified the critical point of specimen loss to be noninsertion of the specimen into the container by medical staff. To prevent future errors at this critical point, strict guidelines such as immediate insertion of the specimen into the container and signing on the container confirming that the specimen is in the correct labeled container at the end of the procedure are recommended.