Medical Laboratory Observer articles from December 2007

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from December 2007

Jar the seasonal spirit.(From the editor)
December 1, 2007... Was it my imagination that Christmas goodies popped out in stores around Labor Day this year? Were my eyes tricking me when I saw a Halloween tree hung with ghoulish ornaments? After months of bombardment by local merchants, mailorder houses,...

Challenge from South Dakota.(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2007... My lab supervisor just showed me the front cover of the October 2007 MLO and asked, "What is wrong with this picture?" As lab scientists, we are prone to details; and, frankly, I am a bit surprised that no one caught this mistake before you...

What do we think?(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2007... Cover design by David (sic) Byrd on issue for October 2007 was interesting. Our RT, Joe Muntz, noticed that the blood in syringe is above plunger. What do you think? --Julie Hook Guttenberg, IA Editor's note: Daniel Byrd, the...

No "Doc" Byrd.(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2007... I was looking at the cover of your latest issue designed by Daniel Byrd and found it to be fascinating that blood can be in a syringe on the backside of the barrel! Obviously, Mr. Byrd has never had an encounter with the operation of a syringe...

Just joshin'.(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2007... Did you happen to take a close look at the cover of the October MLO? I have never seen blood in a syringe behind the rubber plunger. Just trying to give you a bad time. I have always liked the MLO magazine and have been helped by several of...

A true compliment ...(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2007... I am an editor of a scientific magazine, Prairie Tech, a biannual publication for medical technologists covering the Kansas/Nebraska area. I would like to write an article about laboratory quality control and remember that you had an article...

Deadly germs increasingly mishandled.(Infectious diseases)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The Associated Press reported in early October that American laboratories handling the world's deadliest germs and toxins have experienced more than 100 accidents and missing shipments since 2003, and the number is increasing as more labs do...

Canadian, U.S. officials acquitted in AIDS scandal.(HIV/AIDS)(Human immunodeficiency virus)(acquired immuno deficiency syndrome)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Four Canadian doctors and a U.S. pharmaceutical company were acquitted of negligence in the distribution of blood samples contaminated with HIV, Agence France-Presse reported in October. The case--Canada's worst health scandal--involves more...

Aquatic amoeba attacks.(News)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Six boys/young men were killed this year by an extremely rare amoeba--Naegleria fowleri--this year, reported the Associated Press in October. By entering the body through the nose, invading the central nervous system and attacking the brain, N...

New CAP molecular-genetics registry.(News)(College of American Pathologists)(www.cap.org)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The College of American Pathologists (CAP) has announced a new, Internet-based service designed to connect laboratories performing testing for low-volume molecular genetics, The Registry for Genetic Testing, is now available on the CAP website,...

Conferences.(The Observatory)(Conference news)(Brief article)(Calendar)
December 1, 2007... * Jan. 9-11. The 4th annual "FDA and the changing paradigm for HCT/P regulation" provides updates from industry leaders to aid in compliance with the Food and Drug Administration's tissue regulations and to assure good tissue practices in the...

Toxikon: an ancient word fits modern-day poisons.
December 1, 2007... CONTINUING EDUCATION To earn CEUs, see test on page 18. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this article, the reader will be able to: 1. Describe the techniques and methods used to screen for drugs. 2. Identify the...

From mad hatters to dental amalgams: heavy metals: toxicity and testing.(CLINICAL ISSUES)(Disease/Disorder overview)
December 1, 2007... Heavy metal toxicity is one of the biggest threats to health in the modern age. Why is this so, and how can individual exposure be determined? "Heavy" metals are so named because of their specific gravity (the weight of a substance as...

Integrate molecular diagnostics: create a strategic menu.(LAB MANAGEMENT)
December 1, 2007... Certainly in concept, if not in one's own experience, the use of nucleic-acid-based testing is viewed by the whole of the lab industry as having come a long way toward being technically feasible, financially rewarding, and clinically...

Tang's strategic moves for Olympus.(Executive snapshot)
December 1, 2007... New group forms. Personalized medicine and translational research exist on the cusp, where pioneering research breakthroughs meet individual clinical applications. Only we offer both precision microscope-based optical imaging for science and...

State of MLS programs in the USA.(EDUCATION)(medical laboratory science)
December 1, 2007... According to the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) most recent statistics the number of educational programs for medical laboratory and clinical laboratory technicians (MLT/CLT) and medical technologists and...

Rare blood challenges blood bank and patients.(SPECIAL FEATURE: RARE BLOOD)
December 1, 2007... Often in casual conversation, a new acquaintance will ask what my job is. "Problem solving for people with rare blood" is my answer. It is surprising how often people respond by saying that they have rare blood--usually they say they are group...

Communicate institutional compensation effectively.(Addressing management issues)
December 1, 2007... Q I seem to have trouble effectively communicating a "small" pay increase to my team members. Any suggestions from the panel? How can I tell a good worker that he had his best year but still gets only a 1.5% increase? Is there a simple and...

Dealing with younger techs.(Addressing management issues)
December 1, 2007... Q As younger employees enter the laboratory, how do we older techs avoid the daily frustration of finding important tasks performed improperly or haphazardly? The older group takes its profession and patient care seriously in order to give our...

Validating assayed QC materials.(Answering your questions)
December 1, 2007... Q Currently, we use unassayed quality control (QC) for chemistry and establish our own reference ranges by running the new lot number over a period of 20 to 30 days prior to activating. If we were to use assayed QC, would we be able to run...

Delta check and precision standards for sodium.(Answering your questions)
December 1, 2007... Q What would you consider a significant delta regarding sodium on repeated analysis of a patient's specimen? We have noticed that when we repeat low sodiums (128 mmol/L to 134 mmol/L), we will see an increase on the repeated analysis of...

Pediatric reference ranges derived by different methodologies.(Answering your questions)
December 1, 2007... Q We are a mid-size hospital with low pediatric volume due to a children's hospital near by. Can I use a reference range from literature if I do not have access to pediatric specimens to establish my own? I am nervous about using a reference...

Correction for WBC in automated CSF count.(Answering your questions)(Correction notice)
December 1, 2007... Q Our lab has recently begun to report cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and body fluid cell counts from the Coulter (LH 750), and are using the procedure recommended by Beckman-Coulter. As the Coulter includes white blood cells (WBCs) in the...

Restrictive covenants complicate employment offers.(Liability and the lab)
December 1, 2007... Q We just interviewed an exceptionally talented tech with supervisory experience in several areas critical to our current hospital-laboratory needs. We were all set to hire her when we got a call from her current employer, a physician with an...

EMRs and the clinical laboratory: a roundtable of experts shares insights on patient records.(CLINICAL LAB EXTRA)(electronic medical record)(Discussion)
December 1, 2007... Non-invasive is the key word today in evaluating and treating patients--and the use of combined imaging technologies aid in discovering suspected or confirmed health-related issues. Imaging technologies allow clinicians to investigate, with...

Reduce case TAT.(Product focus: Anatomic pathology systems)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... PowerPath 9.0's user interface produces a case-centric view that enables quick access to requisition data, case history, concurrent cases, and billing information. Ease of access in these areas, combined with fast, accurate results, helps...

Superior functionality.(Product focus: Anatomic pathology systems)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... AutoAP is an inclusive module that addresses the needs of high-complexity testing for today's modern anatomic pathology lab. The module is fully integrated with the general laboratory management system, AutoLims (made by this company), and...

Streamline workflow.(Product focus: Anatomic pathology systems)(Novovision inc)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The NovoPath Anatomic Pathology (AP) Software Platform produces personalized results reporting and helps streamline workflow in a variety of settings. From multisite, multifacility labs examining thousands of cases per day to single-site labs...

Modular, customizable design.(Product focus: Anatomic pathology systems)(WindoPath Psyche Systems)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The WindoPath Anatomic Pathology Information System is a highly advanced, full-featured system with a modular, customizable design. This design allows easy adaptation to the specific needs of labs of all sizes and testing capabilities including...

Total solution.(Product focus: Anatomic pathology systems)(SoftPath SCC Soft Computer)
December 1, 2007... With a variety of ready-to-use management reports and a call-management system that retrieves and prints reminders, SoftPath is designed for speed and performance, a total solution for modern anatomic pathology laboratories. The manager's...

Detection aid.(Industry spotlight)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The ASI Sickle Cell Test is intended for use as an aid in the detection of hemoglobin S (Hb-S) in anticoagulated whole blood. It detects both homozygous (S/S) and heterozygous (A/S) sickle cell, contains urea reagent for test confirmation, and...

Confident results.(Industry spotlight)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... An improved sensitivity troponin I assay is available to be used along with other cardiac tests to help diagnose a heart attack, and to detect and evaluate heart injury. It may also predict the risk of having a future coronary event. Designed...

Wide temperature range.(Industry spotlight)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... A new line of analog hot plates, stirrers, and stirring hot plates for the lab have large 12" square heater tops in a choice of ceramic or milled-flat cast aluminum, and a temperature range to 450[degrees]C with stirring of aqueous solutions up...

Blood-bank centrifuge.(Industry spotlight)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The Sorvall RC3BP Plus low-speed centrifuge for blood banking offers an improved operator interface, an electronic lid-latching system, and a more powerful motor and refrigeration system to increase operational efficiency. It can process a wide...

Organize inventory.(Industry spotlight)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Load at the top and dispense at the bottom with reagent organizers that automate inventory rotation. Reduce waste due to expiration, and ensure lot usage for correct results. Ideal for refrigerator storage; and available for several analyzers...

Process quickly.(Industry spotlight)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The StatSpin Express 4 high-speed horizontal centrifuge spins up to 10-mL gel tubes in only three minutes, offers complete separation and flat gel barrier, a modern bench-top design, a maintenance-free brushless motor, and a two-year warranty....

59-minute sterilization time.(Industry spotlight)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Benchtop sterilizers are ideal for sterilizing liquids, media, glassware, clothing, and all kinds of instruments. Every stage of the cycle, including water-fill, heating, sterilization, exhaust, and drying, are microprocessor-controlled and...

Small but powerful.(Industry spotlight)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The CoaguChek XS Plus System anticoagulation device for use at the point of care brings quality control through advanced built-in and independent liquid controls, and robust data-management and storage abilities for up to 500 patient results....

Clean and simple.(Industry spotlight)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The RAL Immersion Oil Dropper is stored in a convenient stand in a ready-to-use position and is designed for use with one hand. The dropper dispenses a consistent amount of immersion oil every time, making applying oil a clean and simple...

Variety of lab supplies.(Industry spotlight)(SKS Science Products )(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... A new online catalog is available offering over 1,000 labware containers, closures, scales, balances, and lab supplies. Quick turnaround and a wide variety of affordable products, including glass and plastic bottles and jars, lab supplies,...

Distinctive colors.(Industry spotlight)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Hardy-CHROM UTI utilizes chromogenic substances to facilitate both the isolation and differentiation of common urinary-tract pathogens, including Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, from the primary set-up of a urine specimen. The...

Health inequity and public health.(Washington report)(Report)
December 1, 2007... How do we explain that the United States, the wealthiest country with the most advanced technology and medicines in the world, is ranked 30th in average life expectancy? In the mid-1950s, we were fifth. In recent years, pervasive inequities...