HOLIDAY BRAIN BANKING COVERAGE

BRAIN BANKING PROCEDURES

If you are called about a brain for brain banking

1) determine the type of case (ADRC, ALS, Parkinson's, Late Life Depression, or Other)

AND get the following information:

a. name and MRN (or Date of Birth) of subject

b. name and phone number of person contacting you

(relationship spouse or next of kin?)

c. get funeral home name and phone number

2) refer the caller to the correct Brain Banking coordinator or Dr. Hamilton (see below)

3) if unable to activate a Coordinator, you can call Frank for advice.

4) If it is necessary for you to coordinate the autopsy authorization by telephone and transport of the body to the PUH morgue, please see "Telephone Authorization Checklist" following.

BRAIN BANKING COORDINATORS

I. Alzheimer's (ADRC), ALS and Late Life Depression

Leslie Dunn pager 412-433-9331

Leslie Dunn - Home: (412) 366-9148 Work: (412) 692-2731

ADRC office answering service (ask for on-call person) – 412-692-2700

ADRC/Dunn back-up

Lori Macedonia pager 412-958-7812

back up for ALS cases

Dr. Bob Bowser - 724-612-3665

back up for Late Life Depression cases

Dr. Robert Sweet – pager 412-392-7680, cell 412-901-6791 Home: (412) 521-6924

Jill Houle – 412-337-0812, or 412-298-8430, (office: 412-246-6003)

II. Parkinson's Disease and related

Rita Vareha short range pager 11446 (412-647-PAGE)

LR pager 412-958-2715

412-647-4916, Neurology answering service after hours has her pager)

Back up for Rita is Leslie Dunn (see above)

III. For "Other" cases we sometimes get called about other diseases

1. CJD

1. Remove brain, have Frank freeze some frontal lobe and cerebellum

2. Fix in formalin as usual

2. HIV to be banked during regular working hours only – protocol is in morgue in NP drawer under the shelf with all the banking materials.

3. Other -If there is a protocol from an outside group – get a fax of it, follow as best you can and be sure the fax is given to Dr. Hamilton

Frank Fusca pager 412-393-9819

Brain banking pager (Kate) 412-644-1241

(Alternate # for Kate) pager 412-958-0781, home 412-521-6631

Hamilton pager 412-565-8940, home 412-647-4417, cellular 412-310-9874

Referral Communications 412-647-7000 (for telephone authorization of autopsy)

For transportation of bodies (if funeral home will not provide transportation)

Fenco Services, Clark Fenyus

(412) 371-9924

Fax: (412) 371-9248

Other phone: (412) 241-4138

Be sure to say that this is for the ADRC Brain Bank and that Dr. Hamilton will be responsible for the costs.

TELEPHONE AUTOPSY AUTHORIZATION CHECKLIST

If you get called about a "donation" of neuropathology case for research (or just diagnosis) from outside UPMC-Presbyterian don't panic

**FIRST check to see if one of the "pros" are around to handle the coordination.

Leslie Dunn (pager 412-433-9331) will usually coordinate any cases that are associated in any way with the ADRC or ALS

(see attached sheet for additional phone numbers)

IF you cannot get hold of either of the above, PLEASE be sure to follow-up on the case to be certain that everything runs smoothly. We do not want to unnecessarily upset families or Funeral Directors.

The following protocol will help you keep the steps to a successful Telephone authorization for (brain only, or brain and spinal cord) autopsy

TELEPHONE AUTOPSY AUTHORIZATION PROTOCOL

1. Date:_________________ Time:_______________________

Name and phone number of person contacting you:

Name _______________ Phone Number ____________

2. INFORMATION NEEDED

from next of kin, funeral home medical/nursing facility other (indicate)

Time of call: _______________

a. Patient information:

Patient's full name:

Date of birth:

Social Security # (MRN):

Date and time of death:

Place of death and cause (if available):

Clinical diagnosis:

Duration of dementia (if demented):

b. Name of next-of-kin:

Relationship to patient:_________________________

Phone number where they can be reached:______________________

Mailing address of next of kin (to send autopsy report):

c. Name and phone number of the Funeral Director:

Make sure death certificate has been signed. If patient dies at home, the patient's doctor or the Coroner should do this. If patient dies at a nursing home/hospital, the nursing home/hospital doctor should do this.

- MD signing death certificate (if known): _____________________________

- Tell Nursing supervisor/staff that we would like to have records, nursing notes and medications for the past 3 months if possible. If convenient, send with the patient to PUH, if not mail them to Leslie Dunn, MPH, Center Administrator, ADRC, 4-West Montefiore Hospital, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

Time of call: __________________________

Contact the next-of-kin to confirm they want an autopsy. Tell them that "the pathologist will want to focus on the brain only". Telephone autopsy permit for a "brain only with tissue to be used for Alzheimer/dementia research"

autopsy is then obtained. Confirm relevant information. Tell the next-of-kin you will call back within 5 minutes with a person who will witness the permission.

Call UPMC Referral Communications Center (RCC, 647-7000 or 1-800-544-2500).

Time of call: ________________

Tell the RCC you are calling regarding the ADRC Autopsy protocol.

The RCC Coordinator will keep you on the line and establish a 3-way conference call with the next-of-kin.

The RCC will record the information on the autopsy authorization form including

1. date/time of call, patient name, date of birth, social security number,

2. name/address of person giving the authorization, and your name,

Also confirm date, time and location of death

Specify "brain only autopsy with tissue to be used for research" to be written in the "Limitations" line

BE SURE TO ASK FOR CONSENT TO USE THE TISSUES FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES (TOP OF THE AUTOPSY PERMISSION FORM

The RCC will fax the permission form to the pathology department (647-6251), the original permission form will be mailed to Dr. Clayton WileyÕs secretary, Division of Neuropathology, Room A506 PUH.

NOTE:

(If this is a rapid banking (short post-mortem) type of case, at this point, it is often more efficient to call Frank Fusca (pager 393-9819) and have him arrange the transport and coordinate the timing of the banking)

3. Arranging transport of the body:

Time of call: _______________________

Funeral Director. Ask him to take the body to the Presbyterian University Hospital Morgue (647-3734) for "a brain only autopsy." Attempt to arrange a firm rendezvous time with the Funeral Director so that he can make one trip instead of two.

Time of call: _______________________ If during the day (8:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.), call the PUH Morgue (647-3734). Leave a message on the audix about all data available to you. If the diener is available, give information to diener. Frank will arrange for neuropathologist to be present at the time of autopsy.

Tentative Autopsy Time:________________

Time of call: ___________________________

Return a call to the Funeral Director to confirm autopsy starting time.

Time of call: ___________________________

Call PUH Security (647-3191) to let them know that a body will be arriving in the Morgue for an ADRC autopsy. They will need the patient's name, Funeral Director's name and phone number. Be sure they place the body in the morgue, NOT the gift donation cooler. Give them your name and phone number in case there is a problem.

Other comments/problems:

Give a copy of this to Dr. Hamilton