Medical Laboratory Observer articles from May 2006

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from May 2006

Count me in.(counting system)
May 1, 2006... At a neighborhood gathering, a guest appeared wearing a purple T-shirt with this message: "There are Three Kinds of People. Those Who Can Count and Those Who Can't." I will not go into detail about how long it took me to get the joke because I...

Readers respond: something as simple as this.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... I read with interest Dr. Choo-Kang's article ("Specific IgE testing: Objective laboratory evidence supports allergy diagnosis and treatment," p. 10) in the March 2006 issue of MLO. The first paragraph got my attention, as I had gone through...

Readers respond: military med-lab "might".(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2006... I enjoyed reading Lt. Col. Elaine Perry's Education feature, "A medical lab career in the U.S. Army: challenges with rewards," in the March 2006 issue (p. 42). I wanted to point out that exciting laboratory careers are analogously available to...

Memorable features of the top 10 instruments that changed the lab.(Reprint)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... 10. The Klett colorimeter: Big, thick heavy filters, suitable for paper weights but a tad gaudy for cufflinks. 9. The Coleman Junior: If you lost the black rubber cup that covered the reaction, well, you could use your empty coffee cup and...

Bird flu updates.(Infectious disease)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Bird flu updates. A new report in the March 2006 issue of the journal Nature by virologist Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin-Madison explains why--although more than 100 people have been infected with the H5N1 avian influenza...

Human-to-human mad-cow-like infection.(Infectious disease)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Human-to-human mad-cow-like infection. British researchers say new experiments with mice suggest that human-to-human transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD)--the human version of 'mad-cow' disease--via blood transfusions,...

Diagnostic test for pathogens critical for public health.(Infectious disease)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Diagnostic test for pathogens critical for public health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a paper in April's Emerging Infectious Diseases regarding a rapid comprehensive diagnostic test for viral hemorrhagic...

Fungus affects contact-lens users.(News)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Fungus affects contact-lens users. A fungus called fusarium is commonly found in plant material and soil in tropical and subtropical areas. But 21 cases of a fungal eye infection already this year at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the...

WHO announces shortage of healthcare workers.(News)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... WHO announces shortage of healthcare workers. In April, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the shortage of healthcare workers in 57 countries is so serious that life-saving treatments and interventions for childhood...

Top 10 ways to tell if it is a bad demo--or top 10 good reasons to know your vendor.(The Observatory)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... 10. Salesman brings donuts but eats the entire box himself. 9. If you sign papers today, you get a set of fancy kitchen knives. 8. The instrument "computer" has a rabbitear antenna. 7. Two competing reps get into a rumble. 6....

Critical issues on Graves' ophthalmopathy.(AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE)(Cover story)
May 1, 2006... Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) is an inflammatory process that affects tissues of the orbit in patients with Graves' disease (GD) and, more rarely, with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. It is the most frequent extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves'...

Top 10 traits of a great MLT/MT.(Medical Laboratory Technician )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... 10. Communicates; follows through. 9. Shows loyalty; has the patience of a saint. 8. Tenacity in the face of sometimes "hinky" machines; always determined to get "it" right. 7. Recognizes each specimen as a "patient;" demonstrates...

Our debt to the logwood tree: the history of hematoxylin.(CLINICAL ISSUES)
May 1, 2006... Hematoxylin is one of the most common stains in histology. Often used to highlight nuclear detail, hematoxylin has been described as "the cornerstone for staining tissue sections" and as the "foundation upon which modern histopathological...

Process-improvement methods mean best-practice performance.(LAB MANAGEMENT)
May 1, 2006... At Fairview Health Services--an eight-hospital site integrated health system--our customers' perception that our responsiveness was not what it should have been was somewhat accurate. In the fall of 2002, we benchmarked Fairview Southdale...

Jeff Binder plies Abbott Dx's future initiative.(Executive snapshot)(Biography)
May 1, 2006... Unique solutions: We spend a lot of time and resources sounding out the marketplace--both our customers and people we would like to be our customers--to determine not just where they think they are, but where they would like to go. Customers...

Addressing management issues.(Management Q&A)
May 1, 2006... Day shift versus night shift Q Some sort of disagreement is always going on between day and night shift over workload, such as which shift should finish the work around shift-change time, who handles the instrument problems, what type of...

Answering your questions: ACE test.(angiotensin-converting enzyme)
May 1, 2006... Q Our physicians are interested in adding the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) to our test panel. Could you give me some information as to how the test is performed? A Angiotensin-converting enzyme is an enzyme present in vascular...

Answering your questions: Rule of Three.(Tips from the clinical experts)
May 1, 2006... Q Does the "Rule of Three" still apply to hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (Hct) results? A Our institution requires a review of the indices using the Rule of Three. Our Hct must match the Hb X 3 +/- 3, or further investigation is required....

Answering your questions: inoculating inhibitory stool-culture media.(Tips from the clinical experts)
May 1, 2006... Q We are a pediatric hospital and our laboratory is incorporating BAP with ampicillin and CIN agar into our stool-culture regimen. We currently use blood agar, SMAC, HE, XLD, MacConkey X 2, CVA, and GN broth to recover pathogens from stool...

Answering your questions: confirming rapid strep tests.(Tips from the clinical experts)
May 1, 2006... Q When we get a negative result on a rapid strep Group A, we set up a blood plate as confirmatory. Is this necessary, as it is another expense and we rarely find a positive culture on a negative screen? A Group A streptococcus (GAS) is the...

Sick employees at work create serious problems.(Liability and the lab)
May 1, 2006... Q We have had an awful winter at the hospital with people showing up for work very ill and spreading their sickness around. We would like to have some sort of official policy about not coming to work sick, but what are the legal issues? A...

QC challenges for molecular testing.(SPECIAL FEATURE)
May 1, 2006... Consistent and accurate results are necessary for the fulfillment of molecular testing's promise for improved disease detection and monitoring. Issues affecting quality in molecular testing include variable extraction efficiencies,...

Training for the laboratory worker.(SPECIAL FEATURE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... What do medical laboratorians have to do to prepare themselves for the molecular-testing world? What are the avenues down which they will need to travel in order to stay on top of the latest information that emanates from this "New World"? Here...

Top 10 reasons to become an MLT/MT.(medical laboratory technician)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... 10. Each day in the laboratory is a day of discovery. 9. You get to meet your patients, one cell at a time. 8. Your education never ends. 7. You get to be the cornerstone of all diagnoses. 6. If you are prone to roam, you have...

Lab furnishings: modular units for lab redesign.(Product focus)
May 1, 2006... Modular Cabinetry--base and storage cabinets; fume hoods and enclosures; work surfaces and accessories, and components--allows freedom to create the lab you need. Cabinetry can be specified in stainless or painted steel (12 standard colors, or...

Lab furnishings: flexible table workspace.(Product focus)
May 1, 2006... For changing needs within the lab, try out these Height-Adjustable Laboratory Tables, which provide flexible workspace. The foldaway hand crank smoothly raises and lowers the work surface--which is faced with durable black laminate and molded...

Lab furnishings: compact cart ready to roll.(Product focus)
May 1, 2006... The compact mobile utility cart can be used as a workstation for laboratory equipment. Made of durable glacier white, epoxy-coated 18- gauge welded into a tubular steel frame, its two open shelves transport small electrical equipment. This cart...

Lab furnishings: bariatric chair for larger patients.(Product focus)
May 1, 2006... Customers asked for it, and now the newest addition to the Draw-Med series of chairs is available. The new bariatric chair measures an additional 15-inch inside arm width to accommodate larger patients. This 800-pound-capacity chair has...

Lab furnishings: biosafety cabinets.(Product focus)
May 1, 2006... LabGard biological safety cabinets meet clinical laboratories' biosafety requirements, from BSL-1 through BSL-4. Laboratory practices and techniques, laboratory facilities, and engineering controls have been recommended for the handling of...

Lab furnishings: relieve stress; maximize comfort.(Product focus)
May 1, 2006... FS Ergonomic Footrests can maximize worker comfort and productivity. Free-standing adjustable footrests provide foot support for laboratory personnel when their chairs cannot, relieving stress on the underside of their thighs. These footrests...

Lab furnishings: robust work bench.(Product focus)
May 1, 2006... The AnthroBench comes in a variety of heights and widths to customize the workspace for each lab requirement. The heavy-duty legs, 2.5-inch-diameter base tubes, and strong metal braces provide a sturdy frame to support up to 400 pounds. The...

Tissue Processor.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... The improved Shandon Excelsior ES Tissue Processor has additional benefits of a robust reagent cabinet with easy-view wax baths. It now delivers a QC screen that allows daily users to acknowledge rotation requests. Code-protected access...

ASG fits countertop.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... The Automated Gram Stainer, a counter-top unit, stains, decolorizes, and counter-stains individual pre-fixed slides, providing consistency for all types of bacterial samples. Its hands-free process adjusts for sample thickness. The product has...

Monitor various conditions.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... A new low-temperature monitoring system, Sensaphone 1400, monitors up to four environmental conditions, such as temperature, power, humidity, or water on the floor. This system's enhancements provide alarm notifications for up to eight...

Wipe out germs.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... New Sani-Dex ALC Antimicrobial Alcohol Gel Hand Wipes kill 99.99% of harmful bacteria. They also remove soil from hands with the natural friction of non-woven cloth saturated with ethyl alcohol gel solution that is fragrance- and dye-free,...

System sharing.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... Based on Web and HL7 standard technology, this new connectivity solution--the EMR Internet Interface--delivers a simple low-cost tool for system-to-system data sharing between an LIS and any EMR system, integrating lab data directly into both...

QC for HemoCue analyzers.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... HQ-Chex whole-blood glucose and hemoglobin control evaluates HemoCue analyzer accuracy and precision, and include assay values for the Hb 201+. Convenient plastic squeeze-dropper vials dispense appropriate sample sizes, so no pipetting is...

Automation platform.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... A new lab-automation bench-top platform, the Radius Robotic System, provides the highest level of flexibility for laboratories. Compact and sophisticated, it combines robotic hardware with software that ensures complete data management and...

Lightweight rack.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... Keep USP reference standards organized in this dedicated Standards Bottle Rack with individual wells to separate each bottle for safer transport and storage. Rack holds up to 30 bottles with the common 23-mm diameter. Constructed of acrylic for...

Self-sealing capillary tubes.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... New SAFE-T-FILL self-sealing, cappierceable capillary tubes reduce the chance of accidental contact for increased safety and prevent contamination of the blood sample by preventing blood from spilling, ejecting, or splashing after analyzer...

Automated HDL measurement.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... The VITROS dHDL Slide is a rapid, completely automated, random-access test for quantitative measurement of HDL cholesterol concentration, which requires no sample pre-treatment. Its single step is different from traditional multiple-step dHDL...

Bench-top liquid handling.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... The new MVS ADVANCED is capable of verifying multichannel instrumentation using non-aqueous test solutions, such as DMSO. This product enhances data integrity and allows laboratories to optimize automated liquid-handling equipment with up to...

Workstation disposal.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... The Terminal brand Pipette Keeper is now longer, allowing convenient workstation disposal of contaminated pipettes, swabs, and other items up to 15" in length. The Pipette Keeper has an interlocking top and reclosable flaps, and is made of...

Human-serum-based controls.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... Two Liquid QC Cardiac Marker Controls--designed for use on Abbott, Bayer, Beckman Coulter, Dade Behring, Intregra, Roche, and TOSOH equipment--includes analytes CK-MB, myoglobin, troponin I, Troponin T, hsCRP, Digoxin, and hCG. Three-level...

Dilute PT test.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... The ACTICLOT dPT test for detecting Lupus Anticoagulants is the first commercially available dilute prothrombin time test, and marks an advance in the diagnosis of the Anti-Phospholipid Syndrome. It combines reagents for both screening and...

66-second wash cycle.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... The UltraDW Automatic Cell Washington System offers programmable electronic flow meter allows for precise, consistent saline fills. Up to four wash cycles, spin time, decant speed, number of agitations, and rpm are user selectable. Perform one...

Ready-to-use Insulin Reagent.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... The new K-ASSAY Insulin Reagent runs quantitative determinations of human insulin in serum or plasma on most chemistry analyzers. Reagents are ready-to-use liquid and do not require mixing, dilution, or any sample preparation. Linear range is...

Live specimen microscopy.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... The Semen Evaluation VideoScope is the complete package for live specimen microscopy. Heated stage and digital control unit can be set between 25[degrees]C and 50[degrees]C. Temperature control disconnects to allow use as everyday...

Run 200 tests per hour.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... With the addition of logic-driven incubation, the IMMULITE 2500 SMS can run the company's cardiac biomarkers and HCG in 15 minutes. For medium-and high-volume routine immunoassay labs, expect a throughput of up to 200 tests per hour. ...

Detection of H pylori antigens.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2006... ImmunoCard STAT HpSA, a rapid one-step qualitative test, detects H pylori antigens in human stool and tests for eradiation of the organism following treatment. It is simple to perform, provides patient results in less than 10 minutes with 96%...

Top 10 ancient medical technologists.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... 10. Hippocrates (300 BC): first to advocate use of urine in the diagnosis of disease. 9. Galen (AD 180): founder of experimental physiology. 8. William Harvey (1578-1657): discovered the circulation of blood. 7. Galileo Galilei...

New enforcement environment affects healthcare.(Washington report)
May 1, 2006... The Federal healthcare budget continues to balloon and, with it, enforcement of fraud and abuse regulations. In 2005, the government spent approximately $698 billion on healthcare; but by 2013, this number is expected to be $3.4 trillion. What...