Medical Laboratory Observer articles from July 2007

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from July 2007

Cruisin' for a bruisin'.(From the editor)(enjoying travelling while calls in between outstation meetings)(Travel narrative)
July 1, 2007... "A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles," declares Tim Cahill, American travel writer. The MLO team travels far and wide. We love to see the folks we usually deal with only via e-mail and telephone: subscribers, vendors, PR...

Rant du jour.(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... I am writing regarding the comments about the "younger generation" made in your April 2007 editorial ["Ye olde work ethic," p. 4]. I must admit, I was fuming until I got to the end comments. As a member of "Generation X," I would like to offer...

Here is where all the MTs have gone.(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... From one of the "dumber" people in the medical laboratory profession, I would like to address the ignorant comments by Linda Cave in your March 2007 edition of MLO [p. 6]. Why does Ms. Cave feel the need to degrade her MLT co-workers by calling...

More tributes ...(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... I had the pleasure of working with and for Ray Gambino, MD, in the early 1960s at Englewood Hospital. WOW! What a change he brought to the institution. I can only express superlatives when I think of him. A pathologist devoted to the love of...

Federal quarantine for XDR-TB traveler.(Infectious diseases)(extreme drug-resistant tuberculosis)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Following on the heels of the story about a Phoenix, AZ, XDR-TB (extreme drug-resistant tuberculosis) patient jailed in July 2006 for not wearing a prescribed protective mask in public, the Associated Press reported in late May the story of a...

Avian flu update: June 2007.(Infectious diseases)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Several new cases of avian flu reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) bring the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 310 worldwide since 2003. In early June, the Ministry of Health of Indonesia announced that a 16-year-old...

Antibiotic fabric ties up infection.(Infectious diseases)(SafeSmart Inc. introduces necktie with antimicrobial coating)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Safesmart is "cleaning up" a problem many medical professionals face--transmitting infections through clothing. The company is marketing SafteyTies, a line of 24 necktie designs processed with an antimicrobial coating, which creates a...

WHO urges HIV testing in concentrated areas.(AIDS)(World Health Organization)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The World Health Organization (WHO) advised health workers in countries with a high AIDS concentration to urge every one of their patients to get an HIV test. This new, more aggressive approach goes beyond WHO's previous recommendation of...

Canadian breast-cancer patients given false results.(News)(Eastern Health)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... In Newfoundland, hundreds of women, including 36 who died, were given false results on their breast-cancer tests, a CanWest News Service report discovered. Eastern Health, the largest healthcare corporation in the Canadian province,...

Congress halts AFIP funding.(News)(Armed Forces Institute of Pathology)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... President George W. Bush signed into law a supplemental military appropriations bill that prevents the Department of Defense (DoD) from using funds to reorganize or relocate the functions of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP)...

Tainted peanut butter affects more victims.(News)(ConAgra recall its peanut butter)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... According to the Associated Press, the CDC reported that the number of people sickened since August 2006 by salmonella-tainted peanut butter has increased to grown by more than 200 and now includes a total of 628 cases in 47 states. This is a...

Tiny wires revolutionize nanotechnology.(New technology)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... A professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology developed a nanogenerator that can produce a continuous electrical flow--as much as four watts per cubic centimeter with one nanowire--from ultrasonic waves or even blood flow. That is enough...

Test determines return of breast cancer.(Tests)(MammaPrint, a new method to test breast cancer)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... A new breast-cancer test, the MammaPrint, recently cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is the first molecular test cleared to profile genetic activity. After a woman's initial bout with breast cancer, MammaPrint uses the latest...

Meningitis test detects viral infection.(Tests)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... The FDA cleared a test in March that quickly detects the presence of viral meningitis. In conjunction with other laboratory tests, the Xpert EV test is the first fully automated medical diagnostic test that isolates and amplifies viral genetic...

Conferences.(The Observatory)(Calendar)
July 1, 2007... July 14. The American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC) holds a conference at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the "Application of standard vocabularies with the laboratory information system," which...

Potential and pitfalls of NBS, and the reference lab's role.(newborn screening)(Cover story)
July 1, 2007... CONTINUING EDUCATION To earn CEUs, see test on page 22. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this article, the reader will be able to: 1. To become aware of the morbid condition requirements for newborn screening (NBS). ...

Rising prevalence of variant HIV-1 subtypes poses new diagnostic challenge.(CLINICAL ISSUES)
July 1, 2007... Just as clinicians were gaining a high degree of confidence that most patients with HIV-1 infection could be treated and monitored successfully with drug therapies, they now face the troubling emergence of variant subtypes of HIV-1. According...

Trends in therapeutic monitoring of immunosuppressive drugs.(CLINICAL ISSUES)
July 1, 2007... Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) ensures that immunosuppressive-drug concentrations are not too high (reducing the risks of toxicity) or too low (reducing the risks of rejection) in patients. TDM plays a key role in helping clinicians maintain...

Advance and contingency preparations meet changed inspection system.(LAB MANAGEMENT)(medical laboratory inspections by College of American Pathologists)(Viewpoint essay)
July 1, 2007... On one of my vacation mornings in January 2006, I received the call from the hospital. The College of American Pathologist's (CAP's) inspection team had just arrived, unannounced, to perform our biennial laboratory inspection--without me...

A perfect score.(INSPECTIONS)
July 1, 2007... For most clinical laboratories, biennial The Joint Commission surveys can be a time of trepidation. After all, there is much riding on these on-site evaluations--including the ability to operate as well as eligibility for reimbursement by...

POCT for POLs: A POL consultant's view.(EDUCATION)(physician office laboratory)(Viewpoint essay)
July 1, 2007... In my many years as a physician office laboratory (POL) consultant, I have been called upon to evaluate the feasibility of in-house laboratory testing. The physician and/or lab manager--understanding the value of a POL--is/are investigating the...

Hakim's SCC still making history.(Executive snapshot)(Soft Computer Consultants Inc.)(Gilbert Hakim)(Viewpoint essay)
July 1, 2007... Growing through change. Since the 1985 introduction of our first product, we have continued to grow with the ever-changing healthcare information technology industry not only by continuously improving our core product, but also by launching new...

Inside vs. outside lab consultants.(Addressing management issues)(laboratory personnel)
July 1, 2007... Q Would the panel give me input on the advantages and disadvantages of using employees vs. contract with no affiliation to us lab consultants? A Larry Crolla points out, "Inside folk already know your operation, which is good and bad. They...

Changes in title without job description.(Addressing management issues)(job description is essential with change in designation in medical laboratories)
July 1, 2007... Q When our hematology and chemistry section chiefs quit last summer, their positions were posted externally and internally as "hematology supervisor" and "chemistry supervisor." Within a couple of months, an announcement was made that two...

Doing tests twice for two docs.(Answering your questions)(doctors)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Q If you receive requests from two different doctors for the same lab test to be done at the same time, is it legal to draw two samples and perform the test twice? A I will use the word "compliant" instead of "legal." My concern would be...

Matrix effect for controls?(Answering your questions)
July 1, 2007... Q Do all control materials have a matrix effect, even if derived from fresh-frozen human plasma? How do I know if a control is a commutable reference material? A A matrix effect is defined as the influence of a property of the sample,...

Hb and HCT do not match in oncology patients.(Answering your questions)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Q Our laboratory has a large oncology population. We have noticed recently that some patients have hemoglobin/hematocrit results that do not match and require spun hematocrit for report. Can you advise how to report these specimens or direct me...

MIC for H influenza.(Answering your questions)(minimal inhibitory concentration)(haemophilus influenzae)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... Q We routinely test our Haemophilus influenzae isolated from sterile sources for beta-lactamase production. If the organism is beta-lactamase resistant, is the current recommendation to perform MIC susceptibility testing on the organism? A...

72-hour crossmatch limit.(Answering your questions)
July 1, 2007... Q My question regards drawing more blood for crossmatching extra units when the original sample has been depleted. If it is during the 72-hour period from the original sample draw, what is an acceptable labeling practice for the extra sample...

EMR ownership questions.(Liability and the lab)(electronic medical record)
July 1, 2007... Q Several of our interface-development contracts have included declarations of "data ownership" of patient information. They lay claim to this data and then make their business partners police this ownership. What relevant history of the...

AACC 2007--July 15-19--San Diego.
July 1, 2007... Join thousands of your peers as we meet in San Diego--July 15-19--for the American Association for Clinical Chemistry's 2007 Annual Meeting. See new science and new technology in all areas of clinical diagnostics, automation, information...

Comprehensive database.(Product focus: Phlebotomy education, tools, and skin-puncture devices)
July 1, 2007... The newly launched Phlebotomy Central is a comprehensive, accurate, and authoritative database of specimen-collection information housed on the Internet. The subscription-based website includes a database of answers to over 300 of the most...

Promote patient comfort.(Product focus: Phlebotomy education, tools, and skin-puncture devices)
July 1, 2007... Haemolance Plus safety lancets help to protect healthcare professionals and patients from accidental needlestick injuries, and cross-contamination. Designed to help facilities meet OSHA requirements for needlestick safety, these safety lancets...

Reduce injury risk.(Product focus: Phlebotomy education, tools, and skin-puncture devices)
July 1, 2007... ESR-vacuum tubes are evacuated tubes used for collection of venous blood, and to transport and process blood for the testing the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) of whole blood. Safety-coated ESR-vacuum tubes are also available and are...

Pleasant donor experience.(Product focus: Phlebotomy education, tools, and skin-puncture devices)
July 1, 2007... The Blood Collection Bed line includes several different types of donor beds including a flat collection-bed, a recovery-bed, and a reclining collection bed. All are portable, lightweight for ease of transport, comfortable providing a more...

Reduce multiple sticks.(Product focus: Phlebotomy education, tools, and skin-puncture devices)
July 1, 2007... The Venoscope II transilluminator, The Vein Finder, allows clinicians to easily locate hard-to-find veins, making blood draws faster and more efficient. Fewer sticks means less time spent with each patient, reducing waste materials, and making...

Warmth and comfort.(Product focus: Phlebotomy education, tools, and skin-puncture devices)
July 1, 2007... The Heel Snuggler infant heel warmer wraps and rewraps securely around a baby's heel to offer warmth and comfort prior to a heel-stick procedure. The unique butterfly design has two soft straps for a comfortable and secure fit while covering...

Eliminate needle exposure.(Product focus: Phlebotomy education, tools, and skin-puncture devices)
July 1, 2007... The VanishPoint blood-collection system features a blood-collection tube holder and a small-diameter tube adapter. The needle is automatically retracted from the patient when the end-cap is closed after the last tube has been removed. This...

Less pain and trauma.(Product focus: Phlebotomy education, tools, and skin-puncture devices)
July 1, 2007... The tenderfoot device is a safe and effective method for obtaining blood samples from the heel of infants, resulting in a high-quality blood sample with significantly less pain and trauma. The tenderfoot produces a consistent incision that is...

Program enhancements.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2007... A national clinical and anatomic pathology reference laboratory has announced enhancements to its ATOP (Analyzing Test Ordering Patterns) program as an integral part of its suite of integrated services. This is an analysis service to assist in...

Software solutions.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2007... HCLL Transfusion is a next-generation transfusion-management system, designed to manage blood products administered to patients at hospitals and centralized-transfusion-service facilities. It is used to address all phases of transfusion-service...

Rubella IgG assay.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2007... The FDA has recently cleared the VITROS Rubella IgG Assay for the determination of IgG antibodies to the rubella virus in blood. Presence of IgG antibodies may indicate recent or past rubella infection, or if a vaccine has been given and is...

Custom furnishings.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2007... A new Laboratory Furniture Catalog is available, featuring both traditional and contemporary styling. In addition, an engineering department is staffed and available to assist in project planning, design and cost estimating, and can provide...

Separates paperwork.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2007... Made from unbreakable polyethylene, Whirl-Pak Trans-Pak specimen bags have an outside pouch to separate important patient paperwork from the inside of the bag. They are easy to handle and have a positive closure with puncture-proof tabs. ...

Washable mouse.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2007... The wireless WMIO ScrollSeal Washable Optical Mouse can be disinfected, washed, and sterilized to protect against spread of bacterial infection in the lab. It is an ideal companion to the washable computer keyboards also offered by this...

Instant access.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2007... WebLab is an Internet-based LIS-outreach component that enables online patient registration, order entry, result viewing, and other enhanced capabilities. It is fully intergratable with the LIS product by this company and is available...

Up-to-the-minute monitoring.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2007... A fail-safe refrigerator and freezer monitoring system for hospitals, labs, and blood banks is available to ensure the safety and effective-nesss of various samples and blood products. This easy to install system is reliable and cost-effective...

Highly productive.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2007... The Clinitek Advantus urine chemistry analyzer enables automated reading of the Multistix family of urinalysis testing strips in medium-to high-throughput settings, is network-ready, can perform up to 500 tests per hour, and requires no warm up...

Full blood-bank line.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2007... A full line of blood bank refrigerators are available ranging from 27-cu. ft. single-door to 49-cu. ft. double-door. All models in this line range from 0[degrees]C to 13[degrees]C, and feature a temperature chart recorder. [ILLUSTRATION...

Comprehensive catalog.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2007... A free, new 2007-2009 864-page Clinical Catalog showcases over 15,000 products for blood-donor centers, hospitals, and other labs. This catalog offers a unique combination of equipment, supplies, and services. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Maintain and monitor.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2007... The Red Shield Express is a blood-transport system designed to maintain and monitor specified temperature ranges for 24 hours. Its self-sufficient cooling system requires minimal maintenance to keep blood stable, and the onboard validation...

Scope-side guide.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2007... The new 5th edition of the Atlas of Human Parasitology provides the reader with the most comprehensive and up-to-date source of information on parasite diagnosis in the lab. New material and images, tables, and charts make this a dependable...

Speed and capacity.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2007... The Sorvall Legand T and RT Plus Centrifuge Series is a fully integrated, high-throughput system that includes a broad range rotors and adaptors. Four new high-performance fixed-angle carbon-fiber rotors and high-capacity adaptors bring speed...

Ergonomic design.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2007... The portable, programmable Pipet-Aid Elite 400 has highly intuitive user-frienly programming functions enabling quick and easy volume setting. It enables fast and accurate pi-petting and easy, comfortable operation, and accommodates a wide...

Improved accuracy.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2007... The AtheNA Multi-Lyte MMRV test system is intended for the qualitative detection of IgG class antibody to measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella-zoster in human serum simultaneously in a single well. This system allows for more reliable and...

Be a volunteer in medicine.(Washington report)(Viewpoint essay)
July 1, 2007... In the fall of 2006, I realized there must be opportunities to more tangibly help others by sharing my knowledge and skills in the laboratory. After leaving the academic field 28 years ago to start a consulting practice, I wanted to give back...