Medical Laboratory Observer articles from July 2008

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from July 2008

Get a yearnin' for learnin.(From the editor)(Conference notes)
July 1, 2008... "The illiterate of the 21st century" warned Writer and Futurist Alvin Toffler, "will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." So, we are on our way this month to learn, unlearn, and relearn at...

Lab pro's new perspective.(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... While I enjoyed reading your special feature on "Alternate Careers for burned-out medical lab personnel" [MLO May 2008, page 26), I feel you omitted a major "alternate." I left the clinical lab 21 years ago--opting for putting my experience and...

Burned-out, or forced out?(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... After 22 years in the Army, 15 as a medical technologist, I retired in 2004. I was very surprised to find once moving back to the states how low the pay was. I found that I could make more money as a security officer than as an MT. After about...

Ditto to four letter-writers.(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... I identify with what all four responses in the May (2008, page 4) "Letters to the editor." First of all, thank you for saying what you did and standing behind it by putting it in the letters. Secondly, the MLO is my favorite career field...

Kudos to haitian volunteers.(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... Let me take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation and congratulations to Colleen K. Gannon, MT(AMT) and Cheryl A. Willoughby, MT(ASCP) [MLO May 2008, "American med techs volunteer in Haiti," page 20]. Your commitment to share and...

Bloodworks.(The Observatory)(Report)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Certain teen blood donors prone to complications. ABC News reported in May that, at a time of decreasing blood donations, a new study shows that an important source of current and future donations--16-and 17-year-olds--are more likely to...

News.(The Observatory)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... * U.S. medical research gets $600 million from HHMI. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute expanded its flagship investigators program to nurture a new class of scientists in a variety of fields, including genetics and biology, reported the...

New technology.(The Observatory)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... *Google unveils medical records storage plan. Internet search giant Google rolled out its long-awaited Google Health product, which will enable users to upload and store medical records from many sources. Local healthcare companies working with...

Testing.(The Observatory)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... First Dx test for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. In early May, DARK Daily Laboratory and Pathology News reported that a new blood test has been developed by a company that claims it can give an early diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease and...

Conferences.(The Observatory)(Calendar)
July 1, 2008... * Audioconference CD. Washington G2's recent audioconference on "New Developments in the FDA's Oversight of Waived Tests: What Is the Impact on the Lab Industry?" is available on CD. Experts from the FDA detail the key changes in this new...

Cystic fibrosis: newborn screening in America.(Cover story)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common lethal genetic disease in Caucasians, occurring in 1/2,500 births. (1), (2) In its most common form, CF manifests as progressive lung dysfunction, pancreatic insufficiency, and...

Simplifies sweat test.(Cystic-fibrosis products)
July 1, 2008... Nanoduct is a complete, integrated system for inducing and analyzing sweat for cystic-fibrosis diagnosis that produces a result while attached to the patient. Nanoduct simplifies the CF sweat test and, for the first time, makes possible...

Carrier detection.(Cystic-fibrosis products)
July 1, 2008... The eSensor CF Carrier Detection System offers highly accurate and reproducible cystic-fi brosis-carrier results delivered in an easy-to-inter-pret report. Each kit includes all reagents necessary for PCR amplification and mutation detection in...

Direct sequence analysis.(Cystic-fibrosis products)
July 1, 2008... The full CF Gene Sequencing Test is direct sequence analysis of the CFTR gene, identifying every nucleotide of all 27 exons, their associated splice site regions, and clinically relevant regions of introns that contain disease-causing...

External quality control.(Cystic-fibrosis products)
July 1, 2008... The INTROL Cystic Fibrosis Panel I Control is intended for use as a control product to monitor the analytical performance of the extraction, amplification, and detection of test systems used in the qualitative measurement of the cystic-fibrosis...

Comprehensive test.(Cystic-fibrosis products)
July 1, 2008... CF AMPLIFIED is a comprehensive CF test, detecting approximately 99% of mutations, including gross deletions and duplications, in patients of all ethnicities. The test begins with full gene sequence analysis detecting 97% to 98% of mutations....

Expanded panel.(Cystic-fibrosis products)
July 1, 2008... The CF70 Genotype is a 70-mutation screening panel for cystic-fibrosis carrier, pre-natal, and diagnostic testing. The broad mutation coverage of the CF70 Genotype exceeds the minimum recommendations of the American College of Medical Genetics...

Mutation coverage.(Cystic-fibrosis products)
July 1, 2008... The xTAG Cystic Fibrosis Kit is for cystic-fibrosis genotyping. With validated performance criteria, this highly accurate and reproducible (>99.9%) assay gives wide mutation coverage for carrier screening in adults and aid in the diagnosis in...

Detect and identify.(Cystic-fibrosis products)
July 1, 2008... The InPlex CF Molecular Test has an easy multiplex format with few steps and few repeats, no necessary reflex testing, and very little hands-on time. After extraction, results are achieved in four hours or less. Low start-up costs, low hands-on...

Where the heroes are: testing in a war zone.(CLINICAL ISSUES)(Interview)
July 1, 2008... MLO: We are very curious as to what is being done where. Are most lab activities restricted to actual hospitals or mobile hospitals? How many military pathologists are in Iraq, and would they be in the Green Zone or in the field? MAJ James...

A day in the life of Bagdad's Ibn Sina Hospital.(CLINICAL ISSUES)
July 1, 2008... Upon entering Ibn Sina Hospital in Baghdad, you might forget that you were still in Iraq. As you walk in the front door, you are instantly greeted by two soldiers sitting behind a receptionist-style desk. They are all too happy to help you with...

States fail to follow California's lead in certifying phlebotomists.(LAB MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2008... The saying "as California goes, so goes the nation" may be true with many political and social issues, but not when it comes to certifying phlebotomists. It has been over 10 years since a Palo Alto, CA phlebotomist was caught rinsing and...

Integrate to LIS.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2008... AutoLims microbiology module is completely integrated into this company's general lab system, based on the same database structure solution. This integration allows the general lab and the microbiology lab to share information, common features,...

All in one.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2008... The Test N' Toss Disposable Test Tube Rack can be used to hold, store, refrigerate, incubate, and dispose of test tubes, all in one convenient unit. Racks hold up to eighty 10 x l00-mm tubes in a leak-resistant plastic shell to contain spills....

Detect 12 viruses.(Industry spotlight)
July 1, 2008... The xTAG Respiratory Viral Panel (RPV) is the first FDA-cleared assay to simultaneously detect and identify a dozen viruses and viral subtypes that together are responsible for more than 85% of respiratory viral infections. With a...

Prevent needlesticks.(Phlebotomy supplies including educational tools)
July 1, 2008... The PROGUARD II is a single-use, disposable blood-collection tube holder that allows the user to shield the needle with one hand after use. To activate the safety mechanism, the user manually retracts the needle hub into the holder after...

Comprehensive text.(Phlebotomy supplies including educational tools)
July 1, 2008... This full-color, how-to text covers all aspects of phlebotomy, with complete coverage of equipment, safety procedures, arterial blood gases, point-of-care testing, and a special emphasis on practical phlebotomy skills. Procedures are outlined...

Customizable trays.(Phlebotomy supplies including educational tools)
July 1, 2008... Three lines of Phlebotomy Trays are available to suit the needs of today's busy phlebotomist--the Advance line which is four inches deep with a permanent center handle; the Excel line which is three inches deep with an optional separate...

Learn proper procedures.(Phlebotomy supplies including educational tools)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Skin Punctures and Newborn Screens is part of a four-part Applied Phlebotomy video series that demonstrates the proper procedure for performing finger sticks, heel sticks, and new-born-screening collections according to the latest CLSI...

Time-saving solution.(Phlebotomy supplies including educational tools)
July 1, 2008... The Vacuette Quickshield Safety Tube Holder is suitable for daily blood-collection routine due to the user-friendly functioning. The safety cap is activated immediately after blood collection, using one hand. With the aid of a solid support,...

Reduce errors at POC.(Phlebotomy supplies including educational tools)
July 1, 2008... Horizon MobileCare Phlebotomy helps to reduce the leading source of laboratory errors by providing positive patient and specimen identification at the point of care. This solution enhances patient safety by accurately identifying the patient...

Microbiology lab automation arrives.(EDUCATION)
July 1, 2008... Advances in medicine have challenged labs to push to push the limits on diagnostics, so the industry has responded with automated solutions designed to improve efficiency, consistency, and turnaround times. Leaders in the field of in vitro...

Kershaw helps shape Sysmex' healthcare advancement.(Executive snapshot)
July 1, 2008... Company growth and values. In recent years, we established a comprehensive sales/support organization for our hematology, urinalysis, and information systems in the United States. U. S. healthcare professionals now have direct access to our...

Polls reveal MRSA controls.(SPECIAL FEATURE)(Survey)
July 1, 2008... If you have been reading the daily newspaper's comic strips, then you know that even Rex Morgan, MD is fighting the spread of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). According to an online survey conducted by the Association for...

Detect over 70 strands.(Infectious-disease products)
July 1, 2008... A new molecular test is available for enterovirus. This quantitative test detects more than 70 strains of enterovirus, and also assists in determining and tracking the severity of the infection by measuring a patient's viral load. Results are...

Enhanced capabilities.(Infectious-disease products)
July 1, 2008... The TRUGENE HIV-1 Genotyping Kit and OpenGene DNA Sequencing System are now supported by the Apple iMac OSX operating system. This system provides an integrated computational system that delivers enhanced data management, simplified system...

Improve decision making.(Infectious-disease products)
July 1, 2008... The BD BACTEC FX Blood Culture System for the detection of bloodstream infections enables remote observation of blood culture data form outside the lab. With the information provided by the system, clinicians can initiate the appropriate next...

Rapid detection.(Infectious-disease products)
July 1, 2008... The Binax-NOW Influenza A & B Rapid Test helps effectively manage patients with influenza-like symptoms. The test gives results in 15 minutes, is validated with over 13 types of transport media, has a shelf life up to 21 months, and uses...

Monitor performance.(Infectious-disease products)
July 1, 2008... AmpiTrol III is a liquid stable, third-party multianalyte quality control designed for nucleic acid testing (NAT) labs testing for HIV-1, HBV, and HVC nucleic acids in human serum or plasma. This quality control is used as a full-process...

Complete HSV solution.(Infectious-disease products)
July 1, 2008... The [D.sup.3] DFA Herpes Simplex Virus Identification Kit and [D.sup.3] DFA Herpes Simplex Virus Identification and Typing Kit are for the detection and identification of HSV types 1 and 2 in cell culture. These kits are designed to be used in...

Answering your questions.(Tips from the clinical experts)(Interview)
July 1, 2008... Reducing STAT tests QWe are under pressure by some doctors who are requesting any test as STAT. Are there any references or guidelines to differentiate STAT laboratory tests from routine tests? A. The subject of "STAT abuse and misuse"...

Addressing management issues.(Management Q&A)
July 1, 2008... Training a new supervisor Q we plan to promote a bench technologist to a supervisory position. Can the panel give me advice and suggestions about how to train this person so that she becomes an effective supervisor? A Larry Crolla...

Kids' "go-to-work day" problems.(Liability and the lab)
July 1, 2008... Q Historically, our hospital has not participated in the community's annual "Bring Your Child to Work Day," but we are under increasing pressure to do so. Can we possibly manage without creating undue liability for the lab? A While "Take...

Compensation trends for lab executives.(Washington report)
July 1, 2008... Gross disparities among executive leadership within companies and across industries--not to mention staggering pay differentials between CEOs and their hourly employees--call for more in-depth analyses of the components of executive...