Pap staining procedure for cytology

In this segment, the focus shifts to the staining process following the fixation that occurred earlier. The first step involves transferring the fixed slide from 95% alcohol into a slide holder. It is crucial to prevent the slide from drying out during this transition. The procedure then follows a sequence of rinsing steps using varying solutions, beginning with a wash in buffered water for 40 seconds, then using hematology solution, and followed by another rinse in buffered water. Care is taken with the acid alcohol dip, emphasizing the importance of timing to avoid pale staining results. This is succeeded by a two-minute immersion in running buffered water, leading into a dehydration process with increasing alcohol concentrations: first with 50% alcohol, then with 95% alcohol. The actual staining utilizes an O.G. stain for two minutes, followed by a series of dips in 95% to 100% alcohol, and wrapping up with an embedding procedure. Each of these steps is timed meticulously to ensure optimal results.