Medical Laboratory Observer articles from June 2003

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from June 2003

Nothing is permanent except change. (From the Editor).(Editorial)
June 1, 2003... Robert C. Gallagher mused, "Change is inevitable -- except from a vending ma chine." Undoubtedly, Medical Laboratory Observer readers are well aware of ongoing changes in the clinical laboratory, from replacing its baby boomer technicians who...

Readers respond. (Letters to the Editor).(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2003... Begging to differ I applaud your choice of topic for the leading article of the March 2003 issue of MLO. As you point out, HPV DNA testing is revolutionizing current cervical cancer screening, and it is important to educate physicians and...

HIV/AIDS vaccine survey results. (News).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Many Americans wrongly believe that a preventive vaccine for HIV/AIDS has already been developed, according to a national survey of 3,500 people recently conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Nearly...

FDA clears rapid test for Aspergillus infection. (Lab Tests).(the Food and Drug Administration clears for marketing the first rapid laboratory test for a life-threatening invasive fungal infection)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... In mid-May, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared for marketing the first rapid laboratory test for a life-threatening invasive fungal infection that occurs in leukemia patients, organ and bone marrow transplant patients and patients...

Visit to 103th ASM, Washington, DC, 2003. (It's Showtime).(a discussion of an American Society of Microbiology meeting)
June 1, 2003... Reported for MLO by: Colleen K. Gannon MT (AMT) HEW, MidMichigan Medical Center, Midland, MI One of the most important things I have learned at the American Society of Microbiology (ASM) meetings is that the cost for the book of abstracts...

Total, free and complexed PSA and hK2 for early detection of prostate cancer. (Cover Story).(prostate-specific antigen)
June 1, 2003... Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a valuable tool for the early detection and management of prostate carcinoma. It is, however, an imperfect tool because of poor specificity in the face of prostatic hypertrophy and other benign conditions. As...

Tecan's Jan Timmers' view of tomorrow's trends and training. (Expert Opinion).(Interview)
June 1, 2003... Carren Bersch: As Tecan continues to grow as a global player in the clinical diagnostics industry, what role do you see the company taking in that market? Jan Timmers: Tecan will continue to be a leading supplier of automated solutions to...

Addressing management issues: effective use of voice mail and a supervisor's wife giving orders to other lab techs. (Management Q&A).
June 1, 2003... Effective use of voice mail Q: I am covered up with voice mail. Please give me some tips on how to manage voice mail effectively. A: According to Marti Bailey, "I suggest you inventory the final disposition of all your voice mails for...

Answering your questions: water during glucose test, Retortamonas intestinalis, occult blood developers, and amylase and lipase. (Tips from the Clinical Experts).(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2003... Water during glucose tolerance test Q: What is the current thinking about allowing a patient who is undergoing a three- or four-hour glucose tolerance test to have sips of water or ice chips? We used to allow the patient to have sips of...

The lab shortage crisis: a practical approach. (Lab Management).
June 1, 2003... Laboratory professionals are well aware that the lab is not exempt from the current problems facing most other healthcare fields. Most laboratories are faced with filling vacant positions for technicians and technologists. According to the...

Privacy rules and compromising patient care. (Liability and the Lab).
June 1, 2003... Q: With HIPAA implementation in full swing, we find it to be more of a hassle than predicted by our most pessimistic staff. We get complaints from physicians because of the confusion about when information may be transmitted without a specific...

Genetic testing emerges. (Product Focus).
June 1, 2003... Genetic testing is a powerful medical technology that has emerged since the beginning of the mapping of the human genome in 1990. About 50 genetic tests for some 450 genetic diseases are currently available for clinical use. These tests are...

Syphilis rapid testing. (Industry Update).
June 1, 2003... The MacroVue Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) Test offers 18 mm Circle Card Tests/Teardrop Test for the serological detection of syphilis. Well-suited to large-scale testing in public health, clinical and blood bank labs, 20 different product...

Bile acids in serum/plasma. (Industry Update).
June 1, 2003... Total BileAcid-HR Assay Kit is simple and sensitive utilizing an in vitro enzymatic colorimetric methodology to detect total bile acids in serum, and can be automated using existing clinical chemistry instrumentation. Within-run precision is...

Labeling solutions. (Industry Update).
June 1, 2003... A range of computer imprintable labels -- for marking tubes, vials, slides, well plates, straws, vial tops, deep well plates and other lab/hospital consumables -- designed to withstand extreme conditions without peeling. Labels come blank or...

Enteric infections on the rise. (Industry Update).
June 1, 2003... ProSpecT Parasitic EIA Microplate assays -- with separate assays for Giardia, Cryptosporidium and Entamoeba histolytica, as well as Giardia/Crypto in microplate format -- allow for highly sensitive parasite detection and increased recovery when...

Specially packaged controls. (Industry Update).
June 1, 2003... 14 new Liquicheck Autoimmune Positive (made with actual disease-state patient samples) and Negative (made from human serum) Controls. All controls are supplied in a ready-to-use liquid, human-serum-based matrix and have a two-year shelf life....

Cardiac risk assessment. (Industry Update).
June 1, 2003... High-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (CRP) reagents give physicians the ability to assess the risk of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease before a traumatic event. The test detects levels of CRP as low as .05 mg/L. Optimized for use...

Disk test automation. (Industry Update).
June 1, 2003... Test yeast species with antifungals, using new standard NCCLS M44 disk test automation. A fluconazole 25 mcg disk is dropped on the agar surface; the plate is incubated for 20 to 24 hours, with results interpreted as susceptible,...

Microscopy accessory. (Industry Update).
June 1, 2003... Based on internal reflection spectroscopy, the Illuminat/R is designed to integrate with existing light microscope to add the power of molecular analysis -- and speeds up completion of analytical testing -- without moving samples or sacrificing...

Helicobacter Pylori ELISA test. (Industry Update).
June 1, 2003... GAP (Gastritis and Peptic Ulcer) JgG Test for in vitro use detects antibodies specific to H. Pylon, and the kits use a simple ELISA microwell format to perform up to 43 patient samples in duplicate. The GAP system has negligible...

Automated sample loader. (Industry Update).
June 1, 2003... The A'%T 5diff AL (auto loader) hematology analyzer, newest addition to the company's benchtop series, features an automated sample loader. It accommodates up to 10 cassettes, each holding 10 13-mm x 75-mm sample tubes. Random-access testing...

HPLC detection method. (Industry Update).
June 1, 2003... New Chromachem ELSD (Evaporative Light Scattering Detector) offers higher peak resolution, a sophisticated microprocessor, small footprint, RS-232 interface and a larger graphic display with more information. ELSD provides sensitive detection...

E-Learning training. (Industry Update).
June 1, 2003... KnowIT (Knowledge-building Interactive Technology) virtual classroom is available for the company's Dimension RxL instrument customers. The online courseware provides interactive learning on-site in the lab. Course modules provide lab personnel...

MSDS database access. (Industry Update).
June 1, 2003... Users of the CISPro CIS (Chemical Inventory Systems) can now subscribe and link to the largest database of independently researched MSDS (material safety data sheet) documents, available in multiple languages. The database provides detailed...

Printer for slides. (Industry Update).
June 1, 2003... The new IP S printer prints permanent, legible information directly onto most standard microscope slides used in histology and cytology. Ink-jet printing technology enables the system to print one-and two-dimensional barcodes, alphanumeric...

The war may be global, but the battles are local. (Washington Report).
June 1, 2003... The news about SARS has circled the globe. We get reports every day from Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, Taiwan and elsewhere about how many new cases there are, how many people have died, and what the latest theories are on transmission and...