Medical Laboratory Observer articles from February 2002

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from February 2002

From the editor.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Celia Stevens We're excited about our February issue. We think you will be, too, as you start turning its pages. You'll find substance, not fluff. Our features are meaty, and the issues our departments deal with are important to your...

Recommends blood lead level reference interval revision. (Letters to the editor).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... I am writing to comment on the "reference interval" for blood lead published on page 14 of your 2001-2002 CLR (Clinical Laboratory Reference). While I realize that a one-page table of reference values cannot provide complete information needed...

Thank you for recognizing cytotechnologists. (Letters to the editor).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... I appreciate that you have published an article with a cytotechnologist as a co-author ("The Complaint Department -- How does a lab properly investigate a problem?" December 2001). Often cytotechnologists are ignored when general laboratory...

AABB forms consulting service division. (Blood bank briefs).(American Association of Blood Banks)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The American Association of Blood Banks has formed a new division that will provide managerial and technical assistance to blood banks and transfusion services. The Consulting Services Division will focus on compliance with AABB standards,...

FDA issues guidelines in case of donor exposure to anthrax. (Blood bank briefs).(United States Food and Drug Administration)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Food and Drug Administration issued a final guidance providing recommendations for assessment of donor suitability and product safety for donors potentially exposed to Bacillus anthracis. The guidance applies to whole blood, blood...

HIV drug resistance profile. (New tests).(ViroLogic Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A new test from ViroLogic Inc., measures HIV patients' drug resistance profile in a single report using phenotypic test results supplemented by genotypic information. PhenoSense GT combines South San Francisco-based ViroLogic's two proprietary...

Mad cow disease test in development. (New tests).(Caprion Pharmaceuticals Inc.)(OrthoClinical Diagnostics Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A new licensing agreement between OrthoClinical Diagnostics Inc, (OCD) and Caprion Pharmaceuticals Inc. focuses on the development of a human blood test for variant Creutzfield-Jacob disease (vCJD), the human equivalent of mad cow disease. OCD,...

Homocysteine ELISA may help identify patients at risk for cardiovascular disease. (New tests).(Wampole Laboratories Div.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A new test to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of patients suspected of having hyperhomocysteinemia and homocystinuria has been released by Wampole Laboratories, Cranbury, NJ. Numerous studies have linked elevated levels of homocysteine to an...

In vitro sensitivity of approved drugs. (Anthrax update).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Test for 17 strains from the current epidemic of anthrax shows susceptibility to ciproflaxin, tetracycline, and penicillin, the three drugs that are FDA approved for anthrax. Other drugs that are active in vitro against the current strains...

Routine prenatal testing may not be needed. (Industry news).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A report in the December issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology notes that, if hemoglobin and hematocrit values obtained at 26 weeks to 28 weeks' gestation are acceptable, these tests do not need to be repeated during the admission to labor and...

Blood gas supply contract inked. (Industry news).(Novation)(Radiometer)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Novation, the supply chain management company for VHA Inc. and University HealthSystem Consortium, has renewed its blood gas contract with Radiometer for one year. The contract has also been extended to include the point-of-care analyzers, NPT7...

New wound infection detection devices. (Industry news).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Using porous silicon and an organic receptor, scientists at the University of Rochester in New York can differentiate between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. They expect further development of this technology will lead to small,...

Conferences to award P.A.C.E credits. (Events).(series of conferences on phlebotomy and needlestick safety)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Center for Phlebotomy Education, Inc. (CPE) and ECRI will offer a series of conferences on phlebotomy and needlestick safety. Some of the topics to be discussed are "Seizing Control of Blood Culture Contamination Rates," "Protecting...

Prenatal screening tests facilitate risk assessment. (Cover Story).
February 1, 2002... Knowledge often provides the power to positively influence outcomes. One of our nation's health goals for the new millennium as articulated in the document Healthy People 2010 is improved maternal, infant and child well-being.(1) There are many...

The lab's role in developing an institutional drug testing policy. (Liability and the lab).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Q I have been asked to represent Q the laboratory in developing a workplace drug testing policy for our institution. This policy will not only apply to the acute care hospital, but to all outlying clinics and physician practices that the...

Talking with Kenneth Freeman of Quest Diagnostics. (In the eyes of the experts Medical laboratory industry - 2007).(Interview)
February 1, 2002... This is the second installment in our yearlong series of interviews with executives in the clinical laboratory industry. We want to give you a "bird's eye view" of where these key players see the industry going in the next five years. MLO...

Answering your questions on a microscopic exam with negative urine dipstick, RIA lab staffing, MT retraining programs, and phlebotomy trays. (Tips from the clinical experts).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Negative urine dipstick Q If the urine is normal color and clear, and the urine dipstick tests (other than glucose elevation) are negative, is a microscopic exam necessary? Diabetics frequently demonstrate yeast infections. Would these be...

Introducing Alton Sturtevant, scheduling staff meetings, handling performance appraisals effectively, developing policies for selling in the lab, and being paid for on-call work. (Management Q & A).(interview)(Interview)
February 1, 2002... Meet Alton Sturtevant This month is the last of five updates to help you get to know the people who contribute to this column. In this issue, we feature panelist Alton B. Sturtevant. Alton Sturtevant, Ph.D., is general manager of...

Is there one size fits all in an LIS? (Product Roundup: LIS).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Start at the beginning when you are looking for a new laboratory information system. Ask what you want the system to do for you, not what you need to do to a system to make it work. Look at systems just like you would a potential employee....

Blood control Chex. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Sickle-Chex, a positive and negative whole blood control, tests the presence of hemoglobin S in solubility tests and hemoglobin electrophoresis. It assists the laboratory by indicating the proper appearance of positive and negative reactions...

Immunosimplicity. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Two new FDA approved 96-test kits, Is anti-Gliadin IgG and Is anti-Gliadin IgA, jointly referred to as Autoimmune ELISA Assays feature color-coded, ready-to-use reagents, room temperature incubations, convenient 96-well breakaway plates, and a...

Unassayed control monitor. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Liquisure Immunoassay/TDM Control is an unassayed control designed to monitor serum immunoassay and therapeutic drug testing methods. This human serum-based product contains 47 analytes including AFP, B-HCG, CK-MB, FSH, Ferritin, Insulin,...

Page-perfect protein. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Page-Perfect kit is a simple two-step method of concentrating, cleaning and preparing protein solution for loading on gels. By simply treating (1-100mL) protein solution with Universal Protein Precipitation Agent results in the quantitative...

Slide and load. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Recently launched in the U.S. by Porex Bio Products, the Q-Slide Reload System is a three-in-one, easy slide loading pipette tip system that functions as a standard, reload, or stacked-decked rack product. The ultra performance pipette tips...

Robotic processor. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Genesis Robotic Sample Processor (RSP) provides a fast, reliable, and highly accurate system to automate the extraction of viral RNA from plasma, serum, and other biological samples. When used with the Qiagen QIAamp 96 Viral RNA Biorobot...

Bench-top Tango. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A new addition to the Olympus line of blood bank systems is the TANGO benchtop analyzer, specifically designed for medium to large transfusion services, donor centers, and reference laboratories performing ABO/Rh and antibody testing. With a...

Total control. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... GMP compliant software, SORVALL WatchLog Network Plus offers centralized monitoring and management of up to 16 SORVALL RC3BP and RC12BP refrigerated centrifuges from a single desktop PC. Used in conjunction with the BarTrace bar coding scanning...

Easy assay. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The ImmunoCard H. pylori enzyme immunoassay is an in vitro qualitative procedure for the detection of IgG to Helicobacter pylori in human serum, plasma, or whole blood and is intended to aid in the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. The assay is...

Revving refrigeration. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A newly released catalog from Kendro features the complete line of Revco laboratory refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator/freezer combination products intended for noncritical laboratory requirements. The catalog provides detailed product...

The freeze is on. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... UL listed, CSA certified and CE marked, the Thermo Forma range of CryoMed Freezers feature precise temperature control and accelerated controlled rate freezing. The units have a patented liquid nitrogen injection ring ensuring optimum, uniform...

Sharp caddy. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Specimen Caddy offers quick and easy access to blood collection supplies. A six-compartment bottom drawer keeps supplies safe and out of patients' and visitors' view, which has an easy to open safety latch eliminating accidental opening....

Eye emergency. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Vista Eyeshower, a quick, first response, emergency eye treatment system, consists of a sterile plastic applicator and a one-ounce bottle of sterile, buffered eye wash solution. The patented applicator firs securely around the eye socket as the...

Automated PowerWave. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Efficient and reliable, the new PowerWave HT automated microplate spectrophotometer is ideally suited to both the high throughput market and the already crowded academic research lab benchtop. Designed specifically with robust hardware, a very...

Simply accurate. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Binax NOW Legionella Urine Antigen Test is a rapid immunochromatographic assay used for the early diagnosis of Legionnella pneumophila serogroup 1 infection through detection of a specific soluble antigen present in the urine of Legionnaires...

Venipuncture made easy. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Kawasumi phlebotomy set is a single-use, sterile device designed to assist the clinician in therapeutic blood drawing. The sets are available with or without a pre-attached 16-gauge venipuncture needle with a flexible wing and hub assembly,...

Unique LDL reagent. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Pointe Scientific introduces a reagent for the determination of LDL cholesterol. The autoLDL reagent is based on the properties of a unique detergent, which eliminates the need for any offline pretreatment or centrifugation. The assay is linear...

18 minute diagnosis. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... For the first time, HbsAg testing can be performed on a fully automated instrument with an unprecedented 18-minute assay time. Laboratories are now able to run HbsAg tests along with other immunoassays, such as cardiac markers, fertility,...

Snappy wristbands. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Innovative Secureline Blood Bands assist busy medical laboratory personnel to track and identify blood specimens. When applied to the patient, the Secureline easily snaps together, even when a phlebotomist is wearing gloves. In addition, the...

Just in time for cold and flu season. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The new antideoxyribonuclease B (Dnase B) test is a fully automated immunoassay which runs on Beckman Coulter's IMMAGE immunochemistry system and aids the diagnosis and management of streptococcal-based infections. The assay is intended for the...

Validate in vitro. (Product watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A new line of calibration verification test sets, VALIDATE Products is intended for in vitro diagnostic use in quantitatively verifying calibration, validating reportable ranges, and determining linearity in automated, semi-automated and manual...

Useful Utilities. (Web watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Daigger Laboratory Equipment and Supplies website features a "Utilities" section that offers Java Applets on a variety of topics for laboratorians. Visit the site to view the following references: * Periodic Table of Elements. *...

Agilent technologies: Innovating the HP way. (Web watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Agilent e-Seminars are an innovative way to advance knowledge and improve lab skills. These 60-minute to 90-minute online seminars are designed to save time and keep laboratorians up-to-date with the latest technology and newest developments....

Online training. (Web watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... At the Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics website, online training courses about advanced clinical chemistry, immunodiagnostics, and transfusion medicine solutions products are just a click away. The site offers a wide selection of courses, including...

Multiple clinical monographs. (Web watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Kronus Inc. website contains educational and informational materials on a variety of laboratory issues. Clinical monographs, technical series booklets, and reprints from journals are available at no charge and in multiple quantities. The...

Technical topics. (Web watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Technical papers via a pdf download can be obtained from the TREK website. Covered topics vary from point-of-collection devices to multisite evaluations of sensitivity and susceptibility panels to evaluation of therapeutic agents on various...

All you need to know about anthrax. (Web watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... A comprehensive list of documents and protocols for test methods for Bacillus anthracis is published on the Remel website. The site also contains links to government sites and offers information on products available for Level A labs for the...

Microscopy U. (Web watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... On the Nikon USA website, interactive Java and Flash tutorials have been developed to help explore complex concepts in all phases of optical microscopy, the physics of light and color, photonucrography, and digital imaging technology. The...

Legislation introduced to boost specimen collection fee; HIPAA extension offered; and free-supply rule issued. (Washington report).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... As lawmakers get down to legislative business, trade associations representing laboratory operators will push hard for passage of the Medicare Laboratory Services Access Act. Introduced in the final days of the last session by Rep. Phil...