Medical Laboratory Observer articles from February 2007

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from February 2007

The fine art of fiasco.(From the editor)(Survey)
February 1, 2007... Our charming Southern gentleman of a columnist, Chris Frings, sent me a news article he received from one of his "Management Q & A" panelists, Alton Sturtevant, titled "2 in 5 supervisors don't keep their word, FSU study finds." The Associated...

An opposite result.(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2007... In the article, "Investigating elevated potassium values" (MLO, November 2006, page 24), little was presented to explain a case of pseudohyperkalemia that we experienced recently. A gel clot tube was drawn for a basic metabolic panel and a...

Polonium-210 update.(News)
February 1, 2007... Polonium-210 update. Britain's Health Protection Agency (HPA) stated that 120 people have tested postive for traces of polonium-210, although only 13 have any type of health risk. Working with 48 other countries, the HPA has identified 450...

Possible TB exposure.(News)(tuberculosis, Lubbock's University Medical Center)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Possible TB exposure. Health officials in Lubbock, TX, report that almost 3,000 people may have been exposed to tuberculosis (TB) at Lubbock's University Medical Center between September and November 2006. The Texas Department of State Health...

New TB test under study.(Tuberculosis)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... New TB test under study. According to a study published in the Oct. 12, 2006, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers from John Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Imperial College London, the Universidad...

Conferences.(The Observatory)(Calendar)
February 1, 2007... * Feb. 22-24. The Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference (CLEC) will be held in Louisville, KY, at the Hyatt Regency. The theme for this year's conference is "Unbridled Spirit: Education for Creative Thinkers." Under the umbrella of the...

Thyroid function test: a clinical lab perspective.(Cover story)
February 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. List hormones and functions of hormones produced by the thyroid and other glands...

A heart-smart lab pushes for rapid point-of-care-testing.(CLINICAL ISSUES)(point-of-care testing at Methodist Hospital)
February 1, 2007... It may be unusual for the laboratory to instigate point-of-care testing (POCT) in the emergency room, but that is how it happened at Methodist Hospital San Antonio--the largest healthcare provider in South Texas. There, laboratory leadership...

Traditional lines blur between clinical and AP lab systems.(LAB MANAGEMENT)(anatomic pathology laboratory)
February 1, 2007... Over 40 years ago, the first laboratory information systems (LISs) appeared for use in the clinical pathology laboratory. They were large systems based on mainframe computers. As a result of the size, time-sharing was a popular means for a...

Arend cites Millipore's stream of success.(Executive snapshot)(Company overview)
February 1, 2007... Flowing into the future. Over the next five years, trends will require instrument manufacturers to monitor water quality as closely as other test reagents. Due to changes in CLSI standards, we have configured new systems to meet the standards...

Pernicious anemia.(SPECIAL FEATURE)
February 1, 2007... Cobalamin, commonly referred to as vitamin [B.sub.12], is one of the essential vitamins that are obtained only from the diet. The delivery of cobalamin from food to tissues involves first the binding of cobalamin from the diet to the salivary...

Firing an employee.(Addressing management issues)
February 1, 2007... Q As a new supervisor, can you tell me what is the proper procedure for firing someone who is not meeting the job standards? A Larry Crolla advises, "This is a situation that must be resolved through your personnel department and not by...

Training deficiency.(Addressing management issues)(ways to impart trainning to employees)(Discussion)
February 1, 2007... Q Almost every time a staff member is promoted to supervisory or management positions in our institution, he struggles due to lack of training. Any suggestions? A According to Alton Sturtevant, "Lack of training is a common theme of...

WBC estimate from smear.(Answering your questions)(white blood cell )
February 1, 2007... Q I am looking for guidelines or a formula to help determine an estimated of the white blood cell (WBC) count in whole blood from the peripheral smear. A When properly performed, the estimated white blood cell count from a stained...

Blood drawing after transfusions.(Answering your questions)(Dennis J. Ernst clears doubts)(Interview)
February 1, 2007... Q How long after the completion of a blood-product transfusion can blood for a complete blood count be drawn? A The objective in obtaining accurate post-transfusion blood counts is to obtain a sample that is a homogeneous mixture of patient...

Population selection for reference interval validation.(Answering your questions)(George Cembrowski clears queries)(Interview)
February 1, 2007... Q We installed new instruments in our lab. We correlated to our old methods, but coming up with enough specimens for reference-interval validation is hard. How do you get a wide variety of ages and normal values to confirm the reference range?...

Compliance vs. SSN security concerns.(Liability and the lab)(social security number)(Barbara Harty-Golder)(Interview)
February 1, 2007... Q Does the education department at my work--a private hospital--have the right to insist that mandatory annual training be done on the company system, which is only accessible using my social security number (SSN)? My supervisor and lab...

Do your biohazard, bioterror, and emergency planning now.(EDUCATION)(severe acute respiratory syndrome)
February 1, 2007... Whether it be a lab accident, release of a biologic weapon into the community, the next flu pandemic, or the next SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak, clinical laboratories must be prepared for possible biohazard and bioterror...

Shelf life boosted.(Product focus: Blood-banking and blood-donor systems)
February 1, 2007... In conjunction with GAMBRO BCT's single donor platelet technology system, the BacT/ALERT 3D offers the ability to monitor platelets for the presence of microorganisms. The laboratory is immediately notified in the event of a positive sample,...

Extensive safety features.(Product focus: Blood-banking and blood-donor systems)
February 1, 2007... For help in managing and tracking patients, specimens, orders, blood products, derivatives, and accessories, turn to SafeTrace Tx. This advanced transfusion-service management software is designed to meet the needs of both small and large...

Battery-operated MINI tube sealer.(Product focus: Blood-banking and blood-donor systems)
February 1, 2007... The battery-operated Model 2380 Tube Sealer is recommended for leukoreduction processing, apheresis, and crytobank applications. The product uses radio frequency to seal tubing as opposed to heat, which creates a true molecular bond when...

Manage daily facility tasks.(Product focus: Blood-banking and blood-donor systems)
February 1, 2007... SoftDonor helps users manage donor eligibility, component inventory, and allows knowledgeable users to efficiently conduct and safely manage daily donor-facility tasks such as donor visits, component production, donor testing, inventory...

Scientific foundations with practical approach.(Product focus: Blood-banking and blood-donor systems)
February 1, 2007... The second edition of Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine combines scientific foundations with today's most practical approaches to the specialty. New advances in molecular genetics and scientific mechanisms underlying the field are...

Programmable freezer.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2007... A 20 cu. ft. laboratory freezer (-30[degrees]C) is now available and features programmable defrost times, magnetic-door closure with key latch, and bacteria-resistant powder-coated interior and exterior. These freezers also have zinc-plated...

Microscope camera.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2007... The DP25 is a microscope camera offering color rendition and five-megapixel imaging. Firewire connectivity makes the camera easy to set up and use in the clinical laboratory and is designed for fast and easy pathology documentation and other...

Label catalog.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2007... A direct order catalog offers a wide range of high-specification customized and stock labels suitable for laser, thermal transfer, inkjet, and handwriting. The labels are supplied in economical pack quantities or booklets for slides, tubes,...

Microsize incubator.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2007... Innova CO-14 is a .5 cu. ft. C[O.sub.2] incubator ideal for isolating sensitive culture samples. A six-sided direct heat and fanless design provides chamber homogeneity, eliminates vibration, and simplifies cleaning. Seamless interior and...

Small footprint microscope.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2007... The Eclipse I-Series 50i is an infinity-corrected upright microscope with a small footprint, allowing the use of auxiliary components and accessories. It excels at correcting chromatic aberration and curvature of the field of view, plus it...

Little-known fact: lab groups do work together.(Washington report)(Clinical Laboratory Coalition)
February 1, 2007... Believe it or not, all is not doom and gloom when it comes to the issue of laboratory organizations banding together to "speak with one voice." As recently as 2003, a coalition of the major laboratory associations mounted a massive campaign to...