Medical Laboratory Observer articles from February 2009

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from February 2009

Red-hot and breathin'.(From the editor)(Editorial)
February 1, 2009... If I did not already tell you, MLO is celebrating its 40th birthday this year. For this reason and the fact that at December's end, I celebrated my birthday, age was an object of my year-end contemplations. If people are "over the hill" at 40,...

E-newsletter boo-boo.(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... Just an FYI: In the December 2008 online issue, in your article, "MRSA clone in Columbia," the country "COLOMBIA" was misspelled! To the writer and the proof-reader, I guess this error slipped through the cracks. I am a native of Colombia and...

Answer to 'seeking equipment'?(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... This is a fellow who sells medical equipment at a large discountion eBay: Cliff Godlevsky (pre-owned medical equipment); eBay seller: budgetmedical; cliffmm00@hotmail.com. He has great service and prices, and is easy to work with. I highly...

Naming names for unified agency.(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... The recent arrival of the long-awaited news of an agreement between the organizations--the ASCP Board of Registry and the NCA, in particular--to develop a unified credentialing agency for the purpose of certifying laboratory professionals is...

Disappointed with the details.(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... I am disappointed with the article, "A reenergized debate on stem cells" [December 2008, p. 36]. I have come to expect ambiguity, bias, and ignorance relating to this subject in the mainstream media but not in a "scientific article." The...

In memoriam.(The Observatory)(In memoriam)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... On Dec. 30, 2008, ARUP Laboratories announced the passing of Dennis Patrick Monahan, vice president for national contracts, who died suddenly and unexpectedly from a massive heart attack on Dec. 24. Memorial services were held on Dec. 28 in...

Gardasil for men?(New vaccines)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... * Gardasil for men? The Wall Street Journal published in early January details of Merck's announcement that it is seeking Food and Drug Administration approval for the use of its human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV), Gardasil, for boys and young...

Students win MIT prize for possible vaccine.(New vaccines)(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... * Students win MIT prize for possible vaccine. News-Medical. Net reports that almost half of the world population is infected with Helicobacter pylori which colonizes in the stomach, causing gastritis and ulcers, and which is recognized by the...

Vaccine shows promise.(New vaccines)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... * Vaccine shows promise. Malaria, caused by Plasmodium falciparum--the most deadly malaria parasite transmitted by the female anopheles mosquito--is the leading killer of children under age five in sub-Saharan Africa, according to...

Caltech's "bar-code chip.".(New technology)(California Institute of Technology)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... * Caltech's "bar-code chip." A new "barcode chip" developed by researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) promises to revolutionize diagnostic medical testing. In less than 10 minutes, and using just a pinprick's worth of...

Disease insights from infant blood.(New technology)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... * Disease insights from infant blood. Researchers at the Van Andel Institute (VAI) in Grand Rapids, MI, are the first to use RNA technology to measure on a large scale the presence of genes in blood spots--the blood drawn from newborn infants...

1918 flu caused by three-gene combo.(News)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... * 1918 flu caused by three-gene combo Medical News Today reported that a team of University of Wisconsin researchers and Japanese scientists identified a combination of three genes in the flu virus that was most likely responsible for making...

Website to fight HAIs.(Infectious diseases)(healthcare associated infections )(Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... * Website to fight HAIs. A new website devoted to helping hospitals fight healthcare associated infections (HAIs) was announced by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology: www. Knowledgelslnfectious.org serves as...

Conferences.(Calendar)
February 1, 2009... Feb. 2-4. "Expanding the Platform for Molecular Diagnostics Lab Growth and Profitability" is the subject of the 2009 MDx Conference at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 in Fort Lauderdale. Gain expert insight on how labs successfully integrate...

Correction.(Correction notice)
February 1, 2009... The deadline for CLMA's "Poster Presentations Only," is scheduled for Friday, April 3.

MRSA: a crisis that touches you: how automated molecular dx will help relieve the time and cost crises facing hospital labs.(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)(Cover story)
February 1, 2009... If time is money, as the saying goes, then hospital laboratories and the managers that oversee them are in crisis. They face ever-mounting pressure from clinical departments to deliver patient test results faster--and around the clock--in order...

Labs take new role in antibiotic stewardship, championing improved diagnoses, guiding therapy, saving lives, and cutting costs.
February 1, 2009... Optimizing antibiotic therapy and antibiotic stewardship is a mantra often chanted, yet together they seldom get the necessary recognition as a common denominator that mutually impacts departments hospital-wide. Unfortunately, laboratories are...

Implementing a real-time PCR assay for rapid surveillance of MRSA.
February 1, 2009... Most healthcare institutions in the United States have been watching an ominous trend of escalating proportions of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more people...

Identity in the PALM of your hand.(CLINICAL ISSUES)
February 1, 2009... Driven by legislation and government policy makers, patient safety has motivated healthcare organizations large and small around the nation since the mid-1990s. From preventing medication and surgical errors to combating hospital-acquired...

The staffing agency "scoop" on how to find employment.(LAB MANAGEMENT)
February 1, 2009... "What do I need to do to find a new job?" This is a question that we have all asked, and the answer is far more simple that we might at first imagine. Your success as a candidate seeking a job, and our success as recruiters who are attempting...

An educator's "scoop" on asking for or writing a recommendation.(LAB MANAGEMENT)
February 1, 2009... Whether a letter of recommendation is for admission to a program, scholarship, graduate school, residency program, new job, or special award, how often have you had to ask for one or been asked to write one? Have you ever had to ask for a...

Data innovations' Vail listens to customers.(Executive snapshot)
February 1, 2009... DI middleware concept. Our concept of middleware is reflected in our vision statement, where we put forth our goal of increasing efficiency and improving workflow within the clinical lab. Many products in our segment, including ours, started as...

Addressing management issues.(Management Q&A)(Viewpoint essay)
February 1, 2009... Not following protocol Q: Our lab just finished an unannounced inspection. The hematology department was not cited with any significant deficiencies. Our manager was pleased. After the celebration, I started working on the current quality...

Answering your questions.(Tips from the clinical experts)
February 1, 2009... Instructions for collecting skin and nail scrapings Q Correct site selection and optimal collection methods are essential for the detection of fungal skin and nail infections. Frequently, I receive clippings or scrapings with no visible...

Reporting impaired pathologist.(Liability and the lab)
February 1, 2009... Q Our pathologist shows signs of poor professional judgment. She is often late and unavailable for necessary consultations. Her work is sporadic; we often find errors. She is frequently distracted; more than once, a tech looking for her found...

"Molecular" is not your traditional lab: where disease management meets acute care.(EDUCATION)(Statistical data)
February 1, 2009... Molecular diagnostic (dx) testing has changed the practice of medicine and has introduced a new type of laboratory to the industry. Like traditional laboratories, molecular diagnostic laboratories perform a range of tests, employ skilled...

Operational improvements.(LEAN and Six Sigma products/services)
February 1, 2009... Valumetrix Services helps labs increase capacity, eliminate waste, overcome labor shortages, and improve quality using Process Excellence, the systematic approach to quality and operational process improvements. Combining tools and...

Increase quality and precision.(Product focus)
February 1, 2009... Lean Histology tailors LEAN principles for streamlining histology workflow and efficiency, achieving faster TAT, improving safety, and increasing quality and precision of diagnoses. In the grossing room with specimen ID, an IPC Cassette Printer...

Customized offerings.(Product focus)
February 1, 2009... BD Laboratory Consulting Services has customized offerings to help address the increasingly complex needs associated with optimizing the laboratory business. These consulting services do more than employ proven methodologies such as Six Sigma...

Fast and flexible.(Product focus)
February 1, 2009... Progeny AP is fast, flexible, and designed and built on LEAN principles to give a powerful, flexible workflow solution. This modular system is configurable for diverse needs of pathology departments and is capable of fully integrating existing...

Programs re-accredited.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2009... The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) has re-accredited American Medical Technologists (AMT), a non-profit certification organization, for its MT- and MLT-certification programs. AMT acts in the public interest by establishing...

One-step pregnancy assay.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2009... The WH Accu Test is a rapid qualitative one-step assay for detection of hCG in urine to ascertain pregnancy. The method employs a combination of monoclonal dye conjugate and polyclonal slide phase antibodies to selectively identify the hCG in...

Low profile and compact.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2009... The Model 3320 Single-Sample Micro-Osmometer is an automated, single-sample, freezing-point depression micro-osmometer that determines the total concentration of dissolved molecules in biological fluids, such as serum or urine. Low profile and...

Accurate detection of strep.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2009... CLIA-waived QuStick Strep A gives high levels of detection, with 91% agreement with rare culture classification ( [ILLUSTRA

Cleared for neonates.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2009... The StatStrip Glucose Monitor has received clearance from the FDA for use in neonatal testing, and the measurement range has been expanded from 10 mg/dL to 600 mg/dL. StatStrip accurately measures glucose and hematocrit on a single strip,...

Fast and high resolution.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2009... The DP72 Microscope Digital Camera combines its fastest high-resolution image capture and transfer rate with the performance of its Adobe RGB image display. The DP72 is ideal for high-fidelity color reproduction, delivering high performance in...

New application.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2009... A new direct HbAlc reagent application for the Vital Diagnostics Envoy500 Analyzer is available. The unique single-channel immunoturbidimetric assay is fully automated, requires no manual sample preparation, no separate total hemoglobin...

From smallest to micro.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2009... The market's smallest blender has now gone micro: Seward Stomacher 80 MicroBiomaster processes 250-[mu]L to 80-mL samples with continuous adjustment of paddle speed, pressure, and processing time--located on the door panel. This patented...

Addition to test menu.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2009... An Automated Direct Whole Blood HbA1C Assay is now available for the BioLis 24i benchtop chemistry analyzer. With this direct method, the whole blood sample is loaded onto the BioLis 24i, which automatically dilutes, lyses, and analyzes the...

Precise profiling.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2009... RanplexCRC is a diagnostic test that can detect 28 polymorphisms associated with colorectal cancer in a single stool sample. It does not require a hospital visit or dietary restrictions; has great sensitivity; and may more accurately profile...

Advancements in HPLC testing.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2009... The Automated Glycohemoglobin Analyzer HLC-723G8 (G8) compact footprint of 21" x 19" x 20" fits easily into most lab environments. Not only does it give fast results with an HbA1c- analysis time of only 1.6 minutes, but its simple touch-screen...

Dynamic duo.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2009... CMV Kits contain cytomegalovirus or CMV transport media, and flocked swabs for the collection and transport of chlamydia, viruses, or mycoplasma. Specimens may be transported at room temperature for up to 48 hours. Diagnostic sensitivity of...

UniCel family grows again.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2009... The UniCel DxH 800 Cellular Analysis System, for mid- to high-volume labs. Its modular design and small footprint is ideal for the LEAN lab. It features high-definition signla processing and multiangle light scatter, which produce 10 times more...

Real-time PCR for quick results.(Industry spotlight)
February 1, 2009... The Clostridium difficile assay is a qualitative in vitrodiagnostic test for the rapid detection of the C diff toxin B gene (tcdB) in human liquid or soft-stool specimens from patients suspected of having C diff infection. The test, based on...

Economic-recovery plan to include health info.(Washington report)(Viewpoint essay)
February 1, 2009... Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Nov. 9, 2008, I observed newly erected plywood walls with posters of signatures and e-mail printouts not only congratulating President-elect Obama but also giving voice to the many wishes and...