Quality control tissue for Steiner procedure should contain which organisms?

• A. Spirochetes, Campylobacter pylori, or Legionella organisms
• B. Any bacterial smear
• C. No organisms
• D. Plant tissue

Answer: (A)

Quality control tissue for this silver-stain procedure must show organisms that the stain is designed to reveal, so you can verify the technique is working correctly. The Steiner method is used to visualize slender bacteria and spirochetes in tissue, such as spirochetes themselves and other bacteria like Helicobacter pylori (historically called Campylobacter pylori) and Legionella. When QC tissue contains these organisms and they stain as expected, you have evidence the reagents and steps are functioning for routine slides. Using tissue with no organisms wouldn’t verify performance, and a plant tissue sample isn’t relevant to the organisms this stain targets.