Medical Laboratory Observer articles from March 2002

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from March 2002

From the editor.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Celia Stevens Editor Our March issue ushers in the springtime with a fresh approach to diagnostic testing for heart disease. Be sure to read Dr. Sherry Woodhouse's article on C-reactive protein and its intriguing role as a potential...

In defense of temporary workers. (Letters to the Editor).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A point of care problem was addressed in a recent issue; however, the writer referred the problem as originating from an "agency" nurse. This reference insinuated that the problem occurred because it was an agency worker who was involved. ...

No single test suitable for early diagnosis of Lyme disease. (New Tests).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Even though refinements in laboratory-based diagnostic assays have made it easier to detect Borrelia burgdorferi infection in patients with erythema migrans, no single test is appropriate for every patient. So says Dr. John Nowakowski of the...

BNP testing: Does it help differentiate cause of acute dyspnea? (New Tests).(Veteran's Affairs Medical Center)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Measurement of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels can help differentiate pulmonary from cardiac causes of acute dyspnea, according to a report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (Jan. 16) Dr. Alan Maisel and colleagues at...

Multiple pregnancy tests required for SMART program. (New Tests).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Hoffman-La Roche Inc., working closely with the FDA, is distributing an enhanced version of their Pregnancy Prevention Program for Women on Accutane to more than 375,000 dermatologists, primary care prescribers, and pharmacists in the U.S. The...

APC stool test: Early detection of colorectal cancer? (New Tests).(adenomatous polyposis coli, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Analyzing fecal DNA for mutations of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene can identify early cases of colorectal cancer, according to a report in the Jan. 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Doctors at The Johns Hopkins School of...

International society for Laboratory Hematology Symposium. (Worth Noting).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Scheduled for April 10-14 in Banff, Canada, the 15th International Symposium on Technological Innovations in Laboratory Hematology is directed to pathologists, laboratory hematologists, and medical technologists interested in laboratory...

April 14-20: National Medical Laboratory Week. (Worth Noting).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... National Medical Laboratory Week (NMLW) is a special time set aside to recognize medical laboratory professionals. It is a time of celebration for the approximately 265,000 medical laboratory professionals and 15,000 board certified...

ASC/ASCT Cytopathology Spring Symposium. (Worth Noting).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The American Society of Cytopathology and American Society for Cytotechnology will jointly play host to a Cytopathology Spring Symposium from April 26 to April 28 at the Wyndham Baltimore Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD. Expert cytopathologists and...

Executive War College to examine how clinical labs can optimize multiple resources. (Worth Noting).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Ways for clinical laboratories to get the most from limited resources in today's competitive environment will be explored in depth by administrators and pathologists from laboratories around the world at the seventh annual session of the...

Guidance on reducing risk of mad cow disease in blood. (Blood Bank News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The Food and Drug Administration's new guidance document focuses on preventive measures to reduce the possible risk of transmission of the human form of mad cow disease. The document's recommendations are intended to minimize the possible risk...

Beckman Coulter acquires POC coagulation system. (Industry Watch).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Beckman Coulter Inc. has acquired a point-of-care (POC) system for prothrombin time testing from Avocet Medical Inc. The $3 million transaction gives Beckman Coulter all rights to Avocet's patented AvoSure system, a handheld point-of-care...

Consorta GPO adds Dade Behring lab products with new contract. (Industry Watch).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Dade Behring and Consorta Catholic Resource Partners signed a sole source contract for Dade Behring's MicroScan line of microbiology instruments, reagents, and supplies. With this contract, Dade Behring now provides the group purchasing and...

Medical laboratory industry -- 2007: Talking with Mark Smits of Abbott Diagnostics. (In the Eyes of the Experts).
March 1, 2002... This is the third installment in our yearlong series of interviews with executives in the clinical laboratory industry. We want to give you a bird's eye view of where these key players see the industry going in the next five years. MLO...

C-reative protein: From acute phase reactant to cardiovascular disease risk factor. (Cover Story).
March 1, 2002... The statistics are startling. Half of all myocardial infarctions occur in patients with normal plasma lipid levels. (1) Despite changes in lifestyle and the use of new drugs such as statins to lower plasma cholesterol concentrations,...

Replacing laboratory equipment, substituting occult blood card developers, addressing Haemophilus parainfluezae, and identifying crenated red cells in urine. (Tips from the Clinical Experts).(Q&A)(Interview)
March 1, 2002... When to update equipment? Q: Is there an "equation" or rule of thumb for determining when you have outgrown a chemistry analyzer and to help identify and justify an upgrade to administrative folks? Theoretical throughput seems to be only...

The big chill ... Storing samples and supplies at the correct temperature vital to accurate test results. (Product Roundup).(Kendro Laboratory Products, Daigger, NuAire, Thermon Electron Co., Jouan Inc., Marvel Scientific, Mopec)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... How cold is it? Your lab refrigerator, that is. How cold does it need to be? Well, it depends on what you want to store in it. Different cultures and media need different environments. Choose the units that best meet the needs of your lab. Keep...

Answering your questions on explaining difficult promotions and using work phones for personal calls. (Management Q&A).
March 1, 2002... Promoting a younger person with less experience Q: How do I explain to a senior worker why a younger, less experienced person has been promoted over him? A: According to Terry Jo Gile, "Seniority is only one of the reasons that...

EZ container system. (Product Watch).(advertisement)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The GasPak EZ System offers a total of six new varieties of gas-generating systems used for creating Anaerobic-Campylobacter -- or CO/2 enriched environments. Available in either containers or pouches, the new systems are faster and require...

hGH determination. (Product Watch).(advertisement)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A new fully automated assay called Access Ultra sensitive hGH provides laboratories, hospitals and endocrinology clinics with a fast and accurate method to detect and measure hGH levels. Beckman Coulter Inc. Circle 152 for more...

Adulteration strips. (Product Watch).(advertisement)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Quantimetrix introduces a new line of Urine Adulteration test strips and controls. Urine specific gravity, pH, creatinine, nitrite, glutaraldehyde, and oxidants can be measured and compared with matched controls. Quantimetrix Corp. ...

Sedimentation control. (Product Watch).(advertisement)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Specifically developed to monitor erythrocyte sedimentation rates, the ESR-Chex is a positive procedural control that performs like a fresh whole blood sample. Streck Laboratories Inc. Circle 155 for more information.

Autokit assay. (Product Watch).(advertisement)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... A highly specific immunoturbidimetric assay, the Autokit C3 test kit quantitatively measures C3 in human specimen. The complement system is a plasma-based protein cascade that functions as a highly regulated and effective immune barrier. ...

Unveiling of new reagent. (Product Watch).(advertisement)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... This ready-to-use PK RBC reagents improve turnaround time by reducing reagent preparation within the lab. PK RBCs removes the manufacturing responsibility from the laboratory and reduces variability and problems typically seen when reagent RBCs...

One step rotavirus antigen. (Product Watch).(Meridian Bioscience Inc product details)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The ImmunoCard STAT Rotavirus immunoassay is a one step, rapid in vitro qualitative procedure for the detection of rotavirus antigen in human stool. The procedure requires no filtration and generates accurate results (94.4 percent) in less than...

Safely padlocked. (Product Watch).(advertisement)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Providing added security against spills for bloods, urines, etc., the Lab/Specimen Box includes one sharps bracket for securing sharps containers and two test tube/ syringe racks that can hold 32 tubes per rack. The front of the box has a...

RAMP for the heart. (Product Watch).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The RAMP Reader and RAMP Myoglobin Test provide a quantitative measurement of myoglobin levels in a whole blood sample thus facilitating rapid diagnosis of myocardial infarction (heart attack). The system delivers reliable results in less than...

Color insight. (Product Watch).(Diagnostic Instruments Inc product details)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Bundled with new software supporting Windows XP and MAC OS X operating systems, the Insight Color Digital Camera is the next step beyond video, providing much higher resolution (1,600x1,200) while maintaining a real time interface (15...

Federal funds begin flowing to states for public health improvements. (Washington report).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... State governments are starting to get an infusion of federal funds to help them improve their defenses against possible future biological attacks. The federal government recently moved to make the first installments of more than $200 million...