Medical Laboratory Observer articles from July 2006

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from July 2006

James Brown and the minds of renown.(From the editor)(American Society of Microbiology)(Editorial)
July 1, 2006... The late eloquent politician Barbara Jordan * once remarked: "Do not call for black power or green power. Call for brain power." Brain power was "where it's at" when the American Society of Microbiology (ASM) staged its 106th annual meeting in...

Readers respond; confused on costs.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... [The] article ["New Enforcement Environment Affects Healthcare" by Daniel Garen, May 2006, p. 48] is very interesting, but I fail to see how the discounts pertaining to lease termination on a previous instrument or free product furnished by the...

Readers respond; COLA accreditation not based on personal opinion.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... As members of the laboratory accreditation community, COLA employees benefit greatly from the pertinent news and industry insight provided by Medical Laboratory Observer, including the "Letters to the Editor" page. This is why we were so...

Fight the bite.(Global diseases)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Fight the bite. Last year, 3,000 Americans were infected with West Nile virus (WNV) and 120 died from complications. Approximately 80% of people bitten by an infected mosquito will not become ill; however, WNV can lead to serious illness and...

AIDS fight continues.(Global diseases)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... AIDS fight continues. After 25 years, there is pessimism about beating AIDS. A recent poll supported by the United Nations (UN) Foundation and UNAIDS revealed that only one of four African nations surveyed believed that the epidemic could be...

Polio eradication stalled.(Global diseases)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Polio eradication stalled. The WHO had hoped to eradicate polio globally by the end of last year. Unfortunately, efforts were stalled by the 2003 immunization boycott led by Islamic clerics in northern Nigeria, who believed that the vaccination...

In memoriam.(News)(Dr. Lee Jong-wook)(Obituary)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... In memoriam. Dr. LEE Jong-wook, director-general of the WHO, died suddenly on May 22. A tireless fighter in the war against devastating diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TB, and H5N1, among others, Lee's long and illustrious career demonstrated his...

Honorable mention.(The Observatory)(American Association of Clinical Chemistry Outstanding Speaker Award)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Christopher S. Frings, PhD, CSP, has received the American Association of Clinical Chemistry Outstanding Speaker Award for 20 consecutive years. Editor of MLO's Management Q&A column, Frings is an internationally known consultant and speaker on...

Vaccine for cervical cancer.(News)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Vaccine for cervical cancer. The Food and Drug Administration has approved Gardasil, the first vaccine for the human papillomavirus (HPV), one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases in the nation. Studies have shown the vaccine...

Conferences.(Calendar)
July 1, 2006... * July 25-29. The 2006 ASCLS Annual Meeting will be held at the Renaissance Chicago Hotel in Illinois. Topics will include state licensure and legislative issues, how to recruit high-school students, and emerging issues in transfusion medicine,...

Use of NAATs for STD diagnosis of GC and CT in non-FDA-cleared anatomic specimens.(COVER STORY)(Nucleic acid amplification tests, sexually transmitted diseases, gonorrhea, chlamydia, Food and Drug Administration)
July 1, 2006... The prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is increasing in men who have sex with men (MSM). (1), (2) High-risk sexual behavior among MSM has become more common following the introduction of highly active anti-retroviral therapy...

CE test on USE OF NAATS FOR DIAGNOSIS OF GC AND CT IN NON-FDA-CLEARED ANATOMIC SPECIMENS.(CONTINUING EDUCATION)
July 1, 2006... MLO and Northern Illinois University (NIU), DeKalb, IL, are co-sponsors in offering continuing education units (CEUs) for this issue's article on USE OF NAATS FOR DIAGNOSIS OF GC AND CT IN NON-FDA-CLEARED ANATOMIC SPECIMENS. CEUs or contact...

Interlinking processes and procedures: new guideline for development and control of lab documents.(CLINICAL ISSUES)
July 1, 2006... A document-management process is vital for ensuring that staff access and use only the most current versions of documents, and that everyone is following the same process sequence and procedure instructions. By doing so, performance variations...

Take time for tackling technology.(LAB MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2006... It is no coincidence," writes Mark Morford, an SF Gate columnist, "that the rise of the godlike Starbucks Corp. coincided almost exactly with the rise of the Internet and the cell-phone explosion... that is, with the insane rise in instant...

Branan Medical's Bill Hoskins: one step ahead.(Executive snapshot)
July 1, 2006... Drug-testing needs: The current trend in testing for drugs of abuse is for employers, healthcare workers, and criminal-justice professionals to demand quicker results than ever before--with rapid on-site tests that can provide results in...

Addressing management issues; budgeting for phlebotomists.(Management Q&A)
July 1, 2006... Q In preparing the lab budget for next year, we find our hospital is coming down hard on using staffing benchmarks and productivity ratios to determine how many FTEs will be approved for each department. For the lab, we look at hours worked per...

Addressing management issues; salaried employee using a time clock.(Management Q&A)
July 1, 2006... Q I have a problem that has been bothering me for some time, and I am hoping you can give some guidance. I am considered a salaried employee, but my manager has asked me to use the time clock to keep track of my hours. I am not late often--but...

Answering your questions; serum acetone testing.(Tips from the clinical experts)
July 1, 2006... Q We use urine ketone dipsticks for serum acetone testing on ketoacidosis patients. If the result is positive, we titer it--using doubling dilutions--and report the lowest positive dilution. This test reacts with acetoacetic acid only, not...

Answering your questions; protocol for BNP orders.(Tips from the clinical experts)(B-type natriuretic peptide )
July 1, 2006... Q What is the recommended protocol for ordering BNP tests? How often should BNPs be ordered to be clinically significant? At our hospital, some doctors are ordering BNPs every morning for 10 to 15 days, with little change in results. From the...

Answering your questions; quality-control criteria.(Tips from the clinical experts)
July 1, 2006... Q Our lab has changed how it evaluates quality-control (QC) data over the past year. We had an interim lab manager who instituted this method. We use what is published in the CAP proficiency-testing summary as CLIA guidelines for acceptable...

Employer and employee rights with respect to leave taking.(Liability and the lab)
July 1, 2006... Q Several of our lab employees have voiced an interest in attending an upcoming, high-profile political rally. We got a notice from the hospital stating that no personal leave days--other than those already scheduled--would be permitted on that...

Nutritional genomics: part of the evolution of personalized medicine.(PHARAMACOGENOMICS)(Editorial)
July 1, 2006... Nutrigenomics, a natural outgrowth of pharmacogenomics, strives to create "personalized" diets using genetic information. The science behind nutrigenomics involves mitochondria, whose primary function is the conversion of carbohydrates, fats,...

Microscopes; ergonomics and optics.(Product focus)
July 1, 2006... For users in the clinical lab who spend many hours at the microscope, the DM1000 can adapt to their comfort with its custom configurations. Its small footprint also saves valuable workspace. Adaptable ergonomics offer users the ability to...

Microscopes; economical but high quality.(Product focus)
July 1, 2006... Ideal for advanced levels of clinical laboratories, the PriorLab microscope provides a high-quality yet economical choice for a broad range of laboratory needs. Its design, high-quality optics, and precise feel result in a greater comfort and...

Microscopes; controls at fingertips.(Product focus)
July 1, 2006... The flexible M5 Infinity LabScope combines optical quality and durability for daily laboratory use in pathology, hematology, cytology, and microbiology environments. The oversized high-point eyepieces combined with Infinity Plan objectives...

Microscopes; new pathology applications.(Product focus)
July 1, 2006... The Hamamatsu Nanozoomer Digital Pathology System, a virtual microscopy system that quickly delivers automatic, high-throughput scanning with outstanding image quality, utilizes high-precision technology to gently lift and transfer each slide...

Two sizes of mini-packs.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2006... The Mini-Pack 15L and 4L reagent packages are now available for high-volume laboratories using Ac*T. Each pack contains either 15L diluent, 500-mL lysing agent, or 4L diluent, 250-mL lysing agent, and a reagent-management card. An enzymatic...

Sample security.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2006... A new storage system TubeServer module features integrated active thaw, application-program interface, hand off to third-party device, and integrated 1D and 2D barcode reading. This system delivers flexibility, speed, throughput, ease-of-use,...

Disposable eyewear.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2006... SharkLids eye gear is optically clear, anti-fog eye shield that protects by adhering to the face with a medical-grade, hypoallergenic adhesive--strong enough to hold under any situations, yet causes no discomfort when removed. Reduce risk to...

Stackable rack.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2006... The new Tiered Tube Rack is a stackable numbered rack with four different size holes that hold up to 46 tubes. It accommodates tube sizes 0.5 mL to 2mL, 12x75 culture/blood-collection tubes, 15-mL centrifuge tubes, and 50-mL tubes. Constructed...

Compact format.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2006... A Two-Part Liquid-Stable Microalbumin Assay, suited for fully automated testing procedures, is now available for the quantitative determination of the analyte in urine. Optimized for use on a variety of instrument platforms, the product comes...

Neat and easy.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2006... A durable, washable, and reusable two-piece unit, the Tru-Catch is designed for use during drug screening or simple urine or stool collection, and can be easily maneuvered both forward and backward during collection use. Measurements inside the...

Enhanced fertility menu.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2006... The new Elecsys Prolactin II assay provides labs with an additional benchmark for macroprolactin recognition by using new antibodies with very low activity against forms of macroprolactin. This assay has a low detection limit (less than...

Epidemiology Software.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2006... The availability of the Sensititre Epidemiology Software module means its powerful package will allow techs to easily customize, duplicate, and analyze data for comprehensive reports. This user-friendly, one-touch package offers distinct,...

Blood-collection devices.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2006... These blood-collection tubes--Safe-Wrap--are heparinized glass capillary devices wrapped in a puncture-resistant film for collecting samples for measurement of pH, blood gases, and electrolytes (excluding lithium). They hold up to 220 [micro]l...

Building a better future ... one tech at a time.(EDUCATION)
July 1, 2006... Trying to fill an open lab-tech position is one of the most significant challenges facing clinical laboratories around the world today. The good news is that leading organizations, concerned educators, and dedicated laboratory professionals are...

EPA's next enforcement target: healthcare facilities and the lab.(Washington report)
July 1, 2006... Just when laboratory teams conquered the latest accreditation standards, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) turned a regulatory eye toward healthcare facilities and has already levied substantial fines for non-compliance. EPA once...