Medical Laboratory Observer articles from January 2002

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from January 2002

From the editor.
January 1, 2002... Celia Stevens As the new year begins, we're happy to introduce two features making their debut in this month's issue. We hope you'll find these additions both helpful and thought provoking. You'll find the first installment in our...

Letters to the editor.
January 1, 2002... Defining purpose of Advanced Beneficiary Notice In reference to Joan Szabo's Washington Report column dealing with AENs (MLO, Nov. 2001), how can a patient be held financially liable in case of a denial if she refuses to sign an ABN? Why...

Clinical diagnosis of flu highly accurate. (Disease watch).(study)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... In a study conducted in North America and Europe, patients clinically diagnosed with flu were subjects of laboratory tests to confirm the diagnosis. Laboratory diagnostic techniques used included viral isolation, hemagglutinin inhibition...

ASCP name change official. (In brief).(to American Society of Clinical Pathology)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The American Society of Clinical Pathologists has officially changed the name of the organization to the American Society of Clinical Pathology, effective Jan. 1, 2002. The change was approved at the society's annual meeting in October last...

Test speeds salmonella detection. (New tests).
January 1, 2002... Scientists in California have developed a test that drastically reduces the time it takes to identify a strain of salmonella bacteria that is a common source of food poisoning. Besides making it easier to investigate salmonella outbreaks, the...

Mayo Clinic develops new rapid anthrax test. (New tests).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, has developed a new DNA test to rapidly identify anthrax in human and environmental samples in less than one hour instead of days. Roche Diagnostics is making the test available to public health agencies,...

Potential new screening test for prostate cancer. (New tests).(Johns Hopkins University)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Scientists at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore have found that measuring the level of a chemical process linked to a genetic change associated with prostate cancer could greatly strengthen standard detection of early-stage curable disease....

Unique diagnostic test for acute thrombotic disease. (New tests).(IGEN International Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... IGEN International, Inc., based in Gaithersburg, MD, has acquired exclusive rights from the University of California to a proprietary test and related technology designed to improve the diagnosis and medical care of patients with venous...

Crozer-Keystone network to install Sunquest LIS. (Industry watch).(laboratory information system)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Crozer-Keystone Health System, based in southeastern PA, will install Sunquest's FlexiLab Laboratory Information System across its network of healthcare facilities. Crozer-Keystone staff consists of 1,100 physicians; its facilities include a...

Product integration leads to automation of lab ordering process. (Industry watch).(Medscape, Atlas Development Corp. agreement)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... An agreement between Medscape and Atlas Development Corp., Woodland Hills, CA, allows for the integration of Atlas' LabWorks software into Hillsboro, OR-based Medscape's Logician EMR system. The blending of the solutions will enable complete...

Whatman HemaSure chosen as a supplier to the Blood Centers of America. (Industry watch).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The Blood Centers of America (BCA), a cooperative of community blood centers from across the U.S., has signed a purchase agreement with Marlborough, MA-based Whatman HemaSure to supply its r/LS(R) PreStorage Leukoreduction Filtration System for...

Surgeon General calls CDC's Atlanta office a national disgrace. (Industry watch).(General Dr. David Satcher says labs poorly equiped and dated)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher said recently that the U. S. should be "ashamed of the condition of the laboratories at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta." The labs are out of date and poorly equipped, he said,...

HCCA releases HIPAA privacy readiness survey. (Industry watch).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... The healthcare industry appears to have taken the organizational steps necessary to comply with the HIPAA privacy rule, according to a survey conducted by the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) with an unrestricted educational grant from...

Study finds hemochromatosis patient's blood is safe. (Blood bank news).(for donation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Blood donors with hemochromatosis, a disorder in which iron accumulates in organs and body tissues, do not pose a greater risk to blood safety than other donors, according to the results of a study funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood...

Hepatitis B antibody carriers should be deferred. (Blood bank news).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A recent study indicates that donors who have antibodies to hepatitis B Core antigen (anti-HBc) but are free of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) may still be infectious and should be deferred. The study's findings indicated that 11 of 50...

Testing for genetic predisposition to venous thrombosis.
January 1, 2002... When the German pathologist Rudolf Virchow posrulated more than a century ago that venous thrombosis occurred as a consequence of a triad of factors: stasis of the blood, vessel injury, and/or hypercoagulability, he was unaware of genetic...

Clinical laboratory personnel. (Salary survey).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... The 2001 clinical laboratory salary survey was conducted by MLO to provide our readers with information about trends in lab personnel salaries and the types of institutions they staff. Sixty-one percent of the total respondents, or 339 out of...

Should a lab report defective medical equipment? (Liability and the lab).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Q In the course of drawing blood recently, one of our phlebotomists reported that seven of the tubes she used while making morning rounds were defective; they had no vacuum and had to be replaced in order for the draw to be completed. Although...

Answering your questions on anthrax stains, ergonomic workstations, glucose urine testing on children, site preparation for infant blood cultures, and contaminated urine cultures. (Tips from the clinical experts).
January 1, 2002... Anthrax stains Q What is the best microscopy method for observing anthrax spores? Do the spores fluoresce under ultraviolet light? A The spores of Bacillus anthracis do not fluoresce under ultraviolet light, but can be visualized by...

Meeting Terry Jo Gile, scheduling in a high-volume core lab, learning to say 'no,' and keeping a positive attitude. (Management Q & A).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Meet Terry Jo Gile This month is the fourth of five updates to help you get to know the people who write this column each month. This month we will feature the MLO Management Q&A panelist Terry Jo Gile. Terry Jo Gile, MT (ASCP) MA Ed.,...

Skin puncture devices. (Product roundup).(safety and comfort features)
January 1, 2002... Comfort and safety for patients undergoing blood collection is, of course, of paramount consideration for a phlebotomist. Collecting a good sample is also a matter of professional pride and a goal every phlebotomist strives for with every draw....

Medical laboratory industry -- 2007: Talking with Albert Ziegler of Beckman Coulter. (In the eyes of the experts).(Interview)
January 1, 2002... Medical Laboratory Observer is proud to introduce the first installment in our yearlong series of interviews with executives in the clinical laboratory industry. We wanted to give you a "bird's eye view" of where these key players see the...

Avoiding specimen transportation errors.
January 1, 2002... The increasing trend toward ambulatory care, home healthcare, nursing home care, and other alternate sites, has created variations in laboratory services and increased probability of medical errors. As an example, in order to increase...

Are they microcytes or macrocytes? Can we do a better job?(red blood cell morphology)
January 1, 2002... As an attempt to improve accuracy in the grading of microcytes and macrocytes, a custom reticle was developed and evaluated. The evaluation looked at grading accuracy, reproducibility, speed, and opinion. In this study, the reticle improved the...

CE providers offering online courses. (Web watch).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A menu of comprehensive continuing education courses is available online as the result of an alliance between ClinServices and the Colorado Association for Continuing Medical Laboratory Education Inc. Quarterly Connection Inc, Continuing...

Needlestick safety site. (Web watch).(from ECRI)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... In addition to detailed information about their new Sharps Safety and Needlestick Prevention guide, including a complete table of contents, the ECRI Web page features a variety of resources and tools that can be accessed free of charge,...

Certificates of analysis online 24/7. (Web watch).(from BD Biosciences)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Certificates On Line from BD provides Internet access to Certificates of Analysis for specific microbiology products from BD. The new service is free of charge, fully automated and allows for batch requests from customers. ...

Infection control made easy. (Web watch).(from 3M Health Care Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A source for infection prevention information online from 3M Health Care offers material on techniques and strategies to help prevent infection. The site provides access to the Infection Control Rounds newsletter and educational programs. ...

Equal Diagnostics multimedia site. (Web watch).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A new multimedia website from Equal Diagnostics offers a convenient source of information about Equal's reagents and accessories for the clinical lab. The theme of the site is "unlock the potential of your chemistry analyzer." Visitors to the...

Of international interest. (Web watch).(Roche Diagnostics )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The website of Roche Diagnostics offers congressional reports and other literature on recent findings of interest to the clinical laboratorian. International events of interest to laboratorians are listed. Roche is sponsoring the 2002...

News you can use. (Web watch).(www.orchardsoft.com)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... HIPAA news and related healthcare links are a feature of the Orchard Software website. A quarterly electronic newsletter features reports on company events and articles that cover major issues for the clinical lab, including HIPAA compliance...

High expectations. (Product watch).(automatic rotary microtome)
January 1, 2002... This fully automatic rotary microtome meets users' highest expectations for fully motorized sectioning of paraffin and plastic embedded specimens. A simple specimen orientation system with anti-tilt function makes orientation of specimens easy,...

High performance standard. (Product watch).(QUANTA Lite Beta 2 Glycoprotein I ELISA)
January 1, 2002... The QUANTA Lite Beta 2 Glycoprotein I ELISA detects IgG class antibodies with 99.4 percent clinical specificity and 96.2 percent sensitivity. Cleared for invitro diagnostic use, the test is calibrated to reference material and is the next step...

Looking for lipoprotein. (Product watch).(Autokit Lp)
January 1, 2002... The Autokit Lp (a) test kit is for the quantitative determination of lipoprotein (a) in serum and plasma to aid in the risk assessment of coronary disease. The assay uses turbidmetric immunoassay methodology in a simple one-step, direct...

Major matrix. (Product watch).(serum chemistry control)
January 1, 2002... The Chemsure serum chemistry control is an unassayed three-level control designed for most major immunochemistry analyzers. The control is a human serum-based matrix with 80 serum analytes including basic chemistries, glucose, cholesterol, HDP...

Assay cleared by FDA. (Product watch).
January 1, 2002... The FDA has cleared the BDProbeTec ET System Neisseria gonorrhoeae amplified DNA assay for use with urine and urethral swab specimens from asymptomatic male patients. The system provides short time to results, minimal labor, high throughput and...

Spillproof your lab. (Product watch).
January 1, 2002... Cuffs and donuts keep labware upright and protect against dangerous spills. Lead donuts stabilize glass and plastic Erlenmeyers, volumetric flasks, and graduated cylinders. Lead cuffs prevent lightweight labware like plastic bottles, filtering...

Sensitive addition. (Product watch).(C-Reactive Protein)
January 1, 2002... C-Reactive Protein, in levels optimized for high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein assay, has been added to the Liquichek Lipids Controls from Bio-Rad. This new product can aid in monitoring a wide range of lipid testing. The control is made from...

Masterful lab organization. (Product watch).(LAB-Interlink system)
January 1, 2002... Organize your lab with this component of the LAB-Interlink system. The LAB-Master Organizer provides input and output to the LAB-Trax 2000 Automated Specimen Transportation system, or it can be configured to provide only input or only output....

Safety supply buyers' guide. (Product watch).
January 1, 2002... The new Safety Supplies Buyers Guide has 1,536 pages of products that are organized to spotlight quality products selected to meet the needs of buyers who want the finest safety supplies and equipment. Products include personal protective...

New C. neoformans test system. (Product watch).
January 1, 2002... The Cryptococcal Antigen Latex Agglutination System (CALAS) is a qualitative and semi-quantitative test system for the detection of capsular polysaccharide antigens of Cryptococcus neoformans in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Pretreatment of...

Rapid strep screening. (Product watch).
January 1, 2002... The new Group B Streptococcus Rapid media allows for a more rapid screening for maternal and neonatal Group B strep colonization -- 24 hours as compared to 48 hours to 72 hours. The media does not require subculture and most GBS stains are...

Fluorescent flexibility. (Product watch).
January 1, 2002... The ScanArray series offers high-sensitivity analysis of many types of fluorescent samples. The new high-throughput systems can accommodate a variety of two, three, four, and five-color research applications. The system is compatible with many...

Critical refrigerator controls. (Product watch).
January 1, 2002... A select group of Puffer-Hubbard refrigerators and freezers are available with the enhanced microprocessor-based CryoLogic controller. Designed with the latest technology, the controller provides improved reliability, greater accuracy, and...

Specific spinal fluid assay. (Product watch).
January 1, 2002... The CSF assay is designed to specifically detect and identify Ig-based oligoclonal banding in unconcentrated spinal fluid. Paired serum and CSF samples undergo a high-resolution electrophoresis combined with an ultra-sensitive immunofixation...

Congress considers greater federal oversight of labs handling 'select agents'. (Washington report).
January 1, 2002... On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are considering legislation to increase federal oversight of laboratories that process microbes with potential use as biological weapons. The aim is to improve the ability of the Department of Health and Human...