Medical Laboratory Observer articles from August 2003

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from August 2003

The magic in fairy tales *.(From the editor)(shortage of clinical laboratory personnel)(Editorial)
August 1, 2003... The tale of how we arrived at the employment--crisis crossroads the--shortage of clinical laboratory personnel--is a complex one. Its resolution is not simple. No one dropped breadcrumbs, like Hansel and Gretel, to lead us back to familiar...

West Nile season steps up pace.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Starting in July, the entire U.S. donated blood supply is being screened for the West Nile virus, using two tests, one developed by Gen-Probe Inc. in San Diego and one by Roche Molecular Systems in Pleasanton, CA. These donor-screening tests...

Learn about new policy with free CD.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Equal Diagnostics offers a free CD with a grant from Genzyme Corp., "Changes in Lipid Testing and Medicare Reimbursement," with information on lipid testing, national coverage decisions for lipids and the alignment of these decisions with...

New diabetes management system receives FDA approval.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... In July, the FDA approved a new insulin pump and glucose (blood sugar) monitoring system to control diabetes by automatically calculating the amount of insulin needed, then sending a radio wave signal to a pump implanted in the patient's...

It's showtime.(News * Trends * Analysis)(Calendar)
August 1, 2003... * Sept. 14-17. The ICAAC, organized by the American Society for Microbiology, holds its premier annual meeting on infectious diseases and antimicrobial agents at McCormick Place in Chicago. For further information regarding registration, visit...

Clarifications.(Correction Notice)
August 1, 2003... * Author's name. In the June 2003 issue of MLO, pages 48 and 50, "The lab shortage crisis: a practical approach," co-author Roger Beckering's name was inadvertently listed in his biographical sketch as "Becker." We apologize for this oversight....

Sentinel bioterrorism responders: are hospital labs ready?
August 1, 2003... Bioterrorism is the intentional application of microorganisms or their toxins for the purpose of causing death or disease in humans or in the animals or plants on which humans depend. The threat of bioterrorism is real. This was evident with...

MLO's gallery of experts presents key trends at CLMA 2003.(Expert opinion)
August 1, 2003... Anne Pontius, MBA, CMPE, MT(ASCP), a member of MLO's editorial advisory board, is president of Laboratory Compliance Consultants in Raleigh, NC. She organized and chaired this year's CLMA Executive Track panel, co-sponsored by Medical...

Forensic pathology: separating fact from fiction.(Clinical Issues)
August 1, 2003... Not since Quincy, M.E. has there been such interest in forensic science and the medico-legal system. A proliferation of television programs and movies, both documentary and fiction, claim to show viewers the behind-the-scenes activities of...

Overtime hours present challenging dilemma.(Liability and the lab)
August 1, 2003... Q My supervisor has gotten in the habit nearly every day of asking me to do errands or tasks around the lab after I have clocked out. I am hired at an hourly wage and entitled to overtime pay. These errands and jobs do not take much time,...

The impact of point-of-care testing on the diagnosis of infectious diseases.(Lab Management)
August 1, 2003... Rapid or point-of-care testing (POCT) in the identification and management of infectious diseases is a hot topic worldwide. Medical, political, media and lay people are paying close attention to POCT technology developments in both conventional...

Addressing management issues: asking for a raise.(Management Q&A)
August 1, 2003... Q How should I go about asking for a salary increase? We have not had one in 18 months, and I do not think this is fair. A Most people believe that they should be paid more! One of the best ways to increase compensation is to demonstrate...

Liquid-handling platform.(Industry Update)
August 1, 2003... The TekBench system is a fully automated liquid-handling platform for laboratories performing biochemical assays. Its compact footprint incorporates a large plate storage capacity and an extensive array of dynamically exchangeable pipetting...

Microscope stage.(Industry Update)
August 1, 2003... A motorized stage for the Olympus IX81 inverted microscope, and the IX50/70 line, provides resolution to 40 nm (10 nm for a custom stage with linear scales) and repeatability to [+ or -] 1 micron. Stage is fully programmable and suitable for a...

Nontoxic PVC tubing.(Industry Update)
August 1, 2003... Clearflo PVC tubing provides an unobstructed View of materials. Used to transfer gases, Liquids or granular materials in laboratories. The product's nontoxic ingredients conform to FDA, 3A and USP Class VI standards. The tubing is listed by the...

Sickle cell screening.(Industry Update)
August 1, 2003... The Sickle-Chex Solubility kit screens patient samples for sickle cell disease and trait by quickly and accurately detecting the presence or absence of sickling hemoglobin. The 100-test kit contains two 100-mL bottles of phosphate buffer with...

Infectious disease testing.(Industry Update)
August 1, 2003... Three immunosimplicity (Is) test kits are used either manually or as part of the MAGO Plus automated EIA system. The three 96-test kits--Is anti-Cardiolipin Screen, Is anti-Cardiolipin Screen IgM and Is anti-Cardiolipin IgA--feature...

HIPAA-compliance software.(Industry Update)
August 1, 2003... HIPAASays walks users through a series of 60 diagnostic questions, automatically analyzes their needs and produces a fully documented, easy-to-implement compliance plan. The system records all compliance activities, and provides the forms and...

E-mail notification feature.(Industry Update)
August 1, 2003... A customizable, automatic e-mail notification feature enhances the company's CISPro chemical inventory system. Users can easily establish criteria for the automatic generation of alerts from the inventory system. The software continually...

Upright lab freezers.(Industry Update)
August 1, 2003... The REVCO Super Insulation--86[degrees]C upright freezers use super-insulated thin walls to increase interior volume compared with conventional freezers of the same size. The models come in 11, 25 and 32 cu. ft. sizes; the 11 cu. ft. model can...

Digital microscope system.(Industry Updates)
August 1, 2003... COOLSCOPE integrates high-precision optics, multimegapixel digital camera technology and intuitive software in one self-contained, mouse-enabled unit. The design eliminates traditional microscope eyepieces; users view samples on a monitor or...

Phlebotomy in mastectomy patients.(Tips from the clinical experts)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Q I am looking for information about doing phlebotomies on mastectomy patients. Is it necessary to 'never' draw blood from the same side as the mastectomy, or is there a time when it becomes okay to use that side? A NCCLS does not place a...

Serum mammastatin.(Tips from the clinical experts)
August 1, 2003... Q Can you tell me about serum mammastatin as an indicator for breast cancer or as a risk indicator for breast cancer? A Mammastatin was first described as a growth-inhibiting protein by Paul Ervin, Jr., PhD, at the University of Michigan in...

The current spin on centrifuges.(Product focus)
August 1, 2003... Centrifuges separate materials from solution by spinning the contents with inertial force, which pulls particles of varying density away from the center. Today, increasingly large numbers of categories of machines--from ultra floor models to...

Are you wearing the right lab coat?(Washington report)
August 1, 2003... Vendors are quick to tell you that their lab coat fabric meets OSHA standards. Laundry facilities tout cotton lab coats as adequate for laboratory needs. Their reasoning is legitimate; cotton lab coats are cooler, and launder easier with high...

Let your fingers do the walking.(From the editor)(introduction of detailed index, updated reference charts)(Editorial)
August 1, 2003... American author Anna C. Brackett once wrote, "Do not seek for information of which you cannot make use." With our distribution of the 30th edition of Clinical Laboratory Reference (CLR), we put vital new information at your fingertips in this...

Table of critical limits.(Clinical and Professional Reference Guides)(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... Critical limits define the boundaries of the life-threatening values of laboratory test results. Critical results, also called critical values, are those that fall outside the high and low critical limits. Urgent clinician notification of...

Table of reference intervals.(Clinical and Professional Reference Guides)(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... Table of reference intervals Spe- Reference interval cimen Test (conventional units) S Albumin 3.8 - 5.0 g/dL B Base excess -3.3 to...

Critical values for therapeutic drug levels.(Clinical and Professional Reference Guides)
August 1, 2003... The concept of critical values for drug levels was developed by Daniel M. Baer, MD, professor emeritus of laboratory medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR, and first published in the April 1982 issue of MLO. This table...

Cut-off and toxicity levels for drugs-of-abuse testing.(Clinical and Professional Reference Guides)
August 1, 2003... This table summarizes information useful in the interpretation of drugs-of-abuse assays. It was developed by Daniel M. Baer, MD, professor emeritus of pathology, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland OR, and updated by Richard A....

How to use the products and services guides.(Laboratory Products and Services Guides)
August 1, 2003... Product information section CLR's Product Information section includes detailed descriptions of thousands of essential laboratory products. Company listings also provide contact information for ordering and pricing. Index of tests,...

Product information.(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 2003... AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS PROFICIENCY TESTING 11400 Tomahawk Creek Parkway Leawood, KS 66211-2672 Ordering/Pricing/Technical Information Toll Free: (800) 274-7911 Fax: (913) 906-6079 Website: www.aafp.org/pt ...