For incomplete dehydration, which is listed as the second corrective action?

• A. Alcohol (several changes)
• B. Xylene
• C. Paraffin
• D. Water

Answer: (A)

When tissue isn’t fully dehydrated, water remains in the specimen and can interfere with subsequent steps like clearing and paraffin infiltration. The appropriate corrective action is to re-dehydrate using fresh alcohol through several changes. Fresh, sequential changes of alcohol gradually remove any remaining water, ensuring the tissue reaches complete dehydration before clearing.

Using xylene or paraffin at this stage wouldn't fix the issue—xylene comes after dehydration for clearing, and paraffin is for infiltration after clearing. Introducing water would worsen the problem, so repeating the dehydration with fresh alcohol in multiple changes is the correct approach.