Medical Laboratory Observer articles from February 2003

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from February 2003

Savvy seniors. (From the Editor).(senior citizens more aware of health issues)(Editorial)
February 1, 2003... Maybe because the Internet has made millions of them more savvy consumers, today's older folks aren't willing to give up the control of their own health. Speaking in our "Expert Opinion" interview this month, Quidel CEO S. Wayne Kay tells...

Blood factor concentrates unlikely to transmit viral hepatitis. (Blood Bank).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... People with bleeding disorders like hemophilia are unlikely to contract viral hepatitis from the blood products they must receive, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control. The report in the Jan. 3 Morbidity and...

CRP fosters blood clot formation. (Proteomics).(C-reactive protein forms blood clots)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Further underlining the limitations of cholesterol screening in assessing heart disease risk, a new study by physicians at UC Davis is the first to conclusively link C-reactive protein (CRP) to formation of blood clots, a major cause of heart...

Annual Pap smears may not be necessary for all women. (Testing).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Annual screening for cervical cancer may not be necessary for women who are at low risk for developing cancer. According to a study published in the Jan. 1 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, women with negative Pap and human...

Diabetics should be screened for dangerous antibodies. (Testing).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Type I diabetics should be regularly screened for parietal cell antibodies (PCAs), which increase their risk of developing autoimmune gastritis, iron deficiency, pernicious anemia and malignant gastric lesions, according to a report in me...

Viral test reduces inappropriate antibiotic use. (Testing).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The use of a recently developed direct fluorescent assay (DFA) that can rapidly detect seven common respiratory viruses can reduce inappropriate antibiotic treatment in children, says a report of a study from the University of Utah in Salt Lake...

Researchers: new noninvasive prenatal diagnosis technique impractical. (Testing).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A new, noninvasive technique for prenatal diagnosis using fetal cells found in maternal plasma is difficult to perform and clinically impractical, according to new research at centers affiliated with the U.S. National Institute of Child Health...

Microarray analysis may help predict breast cancer outcomes. (Genomics).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Genetic microarray analysis may help predict outcomes for patients with Stages I and II breast cancer, according to a recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers from the Netherlands and the U.S. studied the accuracy of...

Readers respond. (Letters to the Editor).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2003... Useful advice In the "Disinfectant for blood alcohols" section of the December 2002 edition (under "Tips from the clinical experts," p. 34) of MLO, the usual warning against using an alcohol-based skin cleanser for specimens to be drawn...

Evaluation of suspected immunodeficiency. (Cover Story).
February 1, 2003... The need to evaluate immune function has moved from the concern of specialists caring for the rare patient with primary immune disorders to an issue for nonspecialized clinicians, resulting at least in part from the emergence of HIV infection....

Talking with S. Wayne Kay: Quidel Corp.'s CEO shares his views. (Expert Opinion).(Interview)
February 1, 2003... Interview by Celia Stevens Celia Stevens: As the leader of a fast-growing company, what in your view are the key trends that will most affect the future of the clinical diagnostics industry? S. Wayne Kay: There are several trends we...

Is this hospital legally liable in an employee fender-bender? (Liability and the Lab).
February 1, 2003... Q Recently, one of our phlebotomists was sent on an errand by her supervisor to a nearby office supply store and had a minor fender-bender. The lab director was upset because she is afraid the hospital might be held liable. 'What is the...

Urinary adulterants and drugs-at-abuse testing. (Clinical Issues).
February 1, 2003... Adulterants have often been used to mask the presence of an illicit drug and thus cheat a drug test. Because most urine collection procedures do not involve direct supervision, it is possible to add adulterants after specimen collection....

Richard Fairfax of OSHA talks about the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. (Lab Management).(United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
February 1, 2003... Interview by Dennis Ernst Dennis Ernst: The revision of the OSHA Bloodhorne Pathogens Standard mandating employers to implement safety needles has been in effect for over a year now. The effect it has had on healthcare managers and...

Addressing the problem of controlling procrastination. (Management Q&A).
February 1, 2003... Controlling procrastination Q I am a lab manager with a serious problem of procrastination. Does the panel have any suggestions about how to control procrastination? A What are you procrastinating? Is it writing an article for MLO? Is...

Hematology analyzers. (Product Focus).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Both large-system and point-of-care hematology analyzers continue to offer upgraded features, demanding that the selection and/or addition of such products be a carefully wrought process based on comparisons of a comprehensive set of criteria....

Fast, accurate test results. (Product Focus).(blood analyzer product information)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The COULTER LH 750 high-volume hematology system eliminates manual presorting of samples, offering faster and more accurate test results. The system features NRBC enumeration, random-access capabilities, differential flagging efficiency,...

Maintenance-free diagnostic system. (Product Focus).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The BD QBC Autoread Plus Centrifugal Hematology System greatly increases ease of use and offers a dry reagent system. The system is virtually maintenance free because it uses dry hematology reagents that eliminate bulky liquid diluents and...

POC testing. (Product Focus).(blood hemoglobin testing equipment)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The CLIA '88-waived B-Hemoglobin Analyzer offers a quick, simple and reliable quantitative blood hemoglobin test with the per for mance of large hematology analyzers. The dual wavelength photometer corrects the hemoglobin value for lipemia and...

Cost efficiency with flexibility. (Product Focus).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Sysmex X-Series of hematology analyzers, which includes the automated Sysmex XE-2 100 and the XT2000i, offers the perfect solution for laboratories within an integrated health network to increase cost efficiency through standardization of...

Meet the ADVIA portfolio. (Product Focus).(blood analyzer product line)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The ADVIA 120 Hematology System provides a CBC, six-part differential and fully automated reticulocyte analysis, designed to streamline laboratory workflow and achieve long-term economic benefits. The fixed throughput of CBC/Diff at 120 samples...

Triple treat. (Product Focus).(blood analyzer from Abbott Diagnostics)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The CELL-DYN 4000, from Abbott Diagnostics, is a 25-parameter, high-volume analyzer that is capable of producing HO CBCs per hour on less than 120 [micro]L of sample. This Pentium-driven system has on-board system monitoring and data review....

Compact automated CRP analyzer. (Product Focus).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Becoming more commonly used in hematology is the measurement of C-reactive protein (CRP). Specifically designed to be used in conjunction with the company's other hematology analyzers is the PAROS CRP, which provides accurate CRP determination...

Answering your questions: wet mount bacteria reporting, venipunctures on children, Miller disk use and arterial blood for tests. (Tips from the Clinical Experts).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Wet mount bacteria reporting Q We need information about reporting wet mounts. Should we report bacteria? Although bacteria are normally present in the vaginal area, some of us think that it would be diagnostically important. If we do...

Lab outreach solution. (Industry Update).
February 1, 2003... Quick-Req offers an alternative to filling out paper forms for ordering lab tests. Physician clients have prepopulated requisitions containing up-to-date patient demographic and billing information via a direct interface to the physician...

Immunology control. (Industry Update).
February 1, 2003... Liquicbek Immunology Control for testing serum proteins has eight new analytes, including ADNaseB, C1 Inhibitor, Cystatin C, IgG Subclasses 1-4 and Lipoprotein(a). This trilevel control includes 35 serum proteins and related analytes in a human...

CVA kit. (Industry Update).
February 1, 2003... System-specific assay values for the Abbott Cell-Dyn 3200 are now available with the Calibration Verification Assessment (CVA). Four-and five-level kits with prediluted levels of WBC, Plt and RBC/Hgb parameters, ensuring patient reportable...

Clinical microbiology. (Industry Update).
February 1, 2003... The BacT/ALERT 3D microbial-detection system for blood/body fluid and mycobacteria cultures allows labs to configure a system based on their unique space, workflow and information exchange requirements. The product features ease of use,...

Online phlebotomy newsletter. (Industry Update).
February 1, 2003... A monthly online newsletter, Phlebotomy Today, posts phlebotomy-related news and information that affects all healthcare professional who perform, supervise or teach blood-collection procedures. A printer-friendly version is available for...

Automated low-density ALDI test. (Industry Update).
February 1, 2003... A new assay for direct measurement of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) for its Dimension clinical chemistry system. The automated test aids in the diagnosis and monitoring of cardiovascular disease. The test's ability to directly...

Free cholesterol C test kit. (Industry Update).
February 1, 2003... Utilizing an in vitro enzymatic colorimetric methodology, the Free Cholesterol C assay eliminates the need for selective coprecipitaion and isolation procedures. The within-run precision is 0.65% CV, 1.26% CV and 1.39% CV for mean...

Blood-banking industry system. (Industry Update).
February 1, 2003... The COBAS AmpliScreen HCV, version 2.0, and the HIV-1, version 1.5, tests are available. The tests utilize polymerase chain reaction-based nucleic acid-based technology and are qualitative in vitro tests for the direct detection of Hepatitis C...

Clinical system. (Industry Update).
February 1, 2003... The SYNCHRON Lxi 725 clinical system combines chemistry analysis technology with immunoassay testing, data management and automated sample handling on a single platform. Improves turnaround time without compromising test results and increases...

The front line of smallpox preparedness. (Washington Report).
February 1, 2003... Lab professionals from state public health departments are on the implementation front line of the nation's smallpox-preparedness vaccination program, a byproduct of bioterrorism. Scott Becker, executive director of the Association of Public...