Medical Laboratory Observer articles from May 2007

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from May 2007

Part III: tradition in transition; Can technology bridge the personnel gap?(technological applications in laboratory thereby replacing laboratory technicians)(Editorial)
May 1, 2007... iPods, video games, and computer mahjongg were not the first types of technology to which we who are "graying" were exposed. What passed for technology "back when" was thrown at us with no on-the-job basic training. In 1961, the pandemonium...

Measuring productivity.(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... [Referencing your March 2007 issue's "Management Q & A" on page 42, the manager who wrote the query on measuring productivity did not state if his was a for-profit or a not-for-profit institution.] Having worked in for-profit hospitals with a...

Clarification.(Correction notice)
May 1, 2007... In Liability and the Lab for March 2007, page page 52, the question related in "Clarify Test Results Dilemma" should read "Does the office have a responsibility to bring the test results to the attention of the patient?"--not the "healthcare...

Deadly fungus in Canada.(Infectious diseases)(cryptococcus gattii)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The Washington Post reported in April that a tropical disease apparently caused by a microscopic fungus brought to North America by a warming climate has been discovered in Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The fungus has also been found...

Authorities struggle with XDR-TB and ethics.(Infectious diseases)(extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis)
May 1, 2007... According to a number of recent news reports, 27-year-old tuberculosis (TB) patient Robert Daniels sits in the Phoenix, AZ, jail in a cell equipped with a ventilation system that keeps germs from escaping. His crime? County health authorities...

New drug for HIV patients.(HIV update)
May 1, 2007... Raltegravir shows promise in combating drug-resistant HIV, says an international study by Merck Research Laboratories in Pennsylvania published in The Lancet medical journal. This drug is one of a new class of drugs called integrase-inhibitors,...

Conferences.(The Observatory)(Calendar)
May 1, 2007... June 6-8. "From Bench to Bedside: Onco-Molecular Diagnostics in the Clinical Laboratory," a conference that will address the development and application of oncology-driven diagnostics, presents the science and practicalities of bringing novel...

IBS vs. IBD and other tummy aches.(inflammatory bowel disease)(irritable syndrome )(Cover story)
May 1, 2007... CONTINUING EDUCATION To earn CEUs, see test on page 20. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this article, the reader will be able to: 1. Identify inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) based upon clinical presentation as well as...

Hitting the target with antithrombotic therapy.(CLINICAL ISSUES)
May 1, 2007... Overview: antithrombotics and their indications Anticoagulants or antithrombotics, known to the public as "blood thinners" have been used successfully since the 1940s to reduce secondary thrombus formation. (1) Although they do not "thin"...

Capturing medical data in the EMR.(LAB MANAGEMENT)(electronic medical record)
May 1, 2007... More than 100 years ago, Dr. Henry Plummer began a career that spanned the formative years of Rochester, MN's Mayo Clinic--from 1900 until his death in 1936. Plummer developed what he called the "unit record." His theory was that all of a...

Kondor covers Gen-Probe's bases.(Executive snapshot)(Gen-Probe Inc.)
May 1, 2007... Molecular diagnostics for the clinical lab. Throughout its history, Gen-Probe has been a pioneer in harnessing the power of biotechnology to deliver clinical diagnostic tools that solve important customer problems. Our assays' ability to target...

CTS standardization: from donor to recipient.(SPECIAL FEATURE)(Centralized transfusion services)
May 1, 2007... Under good-manufacturing-process regulations adopted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the late 1990s, standardization achieved through technology and process excellence enabled the blood-products industry to make great strides in...

The man who invented MLO: a walk down memory lane with Ray Gambino, MD.(TRIBUTE)(Interview)
May 1, 2007... Last December, Ray Gambino opened the front door of his Boca Raton, FL, home to find me standing on his doorstep. Because an MLO reader once likened my editorial commentaries to Dr. Gambino's style from years past, I was quaking in my boots....

Use workplace e-mail effectively.(Addressing management issues)
May 1, 2007... Q Does the panel have any time-management tips for using e-mail effectively? E-mail consumes a large part of my day. A In healthcare, as in other industries, e-mail has become an essential tool for day-to-day operations. Doing without it is...

Learn to write e-mail style.(Addressing management issues)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Computer monitors are harder on the eyes than pen is on paper, so make your message easy on both the eye and the mind. To communicate more effectively, take the strain off your reader's brain by adopting a concise writing style for the body of...

Training counts.(Addressing management issues)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Marti Bailey opines, "My first and foremost recommendation is that you seek out training opportunities. Consider the extent to which your daily operations rely on e-mail and then compare this with the amount of training provided to e-mail...

Choose the proper tool.(Addressing management issues)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... "My second suggestion is to continually remind yourself and your staff that e-mail is only one of many available communication tools and insist that it not become the 'tool of choice' at the expense of the others. How easy it is to forget that...

Organize your e-mail.(Addressing management issues)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Ms. Bailey adds, "The following suggestions may also be helpful as you take control of your e-mail problem. Check to see if your organization has a formal policy that addresses the appropriate use of e-mail as well as when it and other forms of...

E-mail and 'net now crucial for career.(Addressing management issues)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... According to Alton Sturtevant, "The Internet and, in some organizations, the intranet have become efficient methods of providing easy-to-use, immediate mass communication, despite the fact that among those who use e-mail, there are some who...

Refine your e-mail organization.(Addressing management issues)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Dr. Sturtevant adds, "A good approach to handling daily e-mail is to treat it just like regular 'snail-mail.'" Throw away junk mail; it is usually not worth your time. Glance at important (but not high-priority) e-mail and respond to it...

Avoid e-mail's control.(Addressing management issues)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Larry Crolla points out, "E-mail is only a tool; it is not a life force. So use it as you would any tool when you need to get a particular job done. Schedule use of your e-mail 'tool' perhaps two times a day, in the morning and at the end of...

Beware of legal e-mail pitfalls.(Addressing management issues)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Above all, be careful what you write. Do not use e-mail to send highly sensitive messages, proprietary messages, or messages that could be interpreted as a breach of patient confidentiality. Use the same caution in drafting e-mail messages as...

Laboratory error rate.(Answering your questions)
May 1, 2007... Q We have been trying to determine an acceptable quality threshold for laboratory error rate. We formerly had our threshold set at 1%. When that seemed too lenient, we moved it to A It is necessary to start with the realization that a small...

nRBNC and giant-platelet interference on a cell counter.(Answering your questions)
May 1, 2007... Q Our lab recently purchased a cell counter that will enumerate nucleated red blood cells (nRBCs) and report a corrected white blood cell count (WBC) if the size of the nRBCs is at the threshold for triggering a cellular interference flag. It...

Colony age for susceptibility testing.(Answering your questions)
May 1, 2007... Q The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) says that susceptibility testing in particular (and probably ID panels as well) should be done using 18 to 24 hours' growth. In real life, this is not altogether practical. We are really...

The legally tricky e-information age.(Liability and the lab)(laws regarding electronic messaging and its implication on laboratories)
May 1, 2007... Q I heard that companies are now required to keep copies of e-mail because of changes in the rules that govern lawsuits. What are the details? What is the implication for the lab? A The U.S. Supreme Court approved rules governing production...

Credentials: what do they really mean? Comparing CLT/MLTs and CLS/MTs.(EDUCATION)(training programs for laboratory technicians)
May 1, 2007... The laboratory is full of acronyms--ASAP, CBC. TAT. Even the people working in labs are referred to by their initials--CLT, MLT, CLS, MT. But the roles they play in the lab are blurred. As managers look to fill their vacancies with freshly...

Secure operation.(Product focus: Refrigerators and chillers)
May 1, 2007... These laboratory refrigerators have a key on/off switch for secure operation, an LCD temperature read-out that is highly visible and accurate, cabinet walls that are made of 22-gauge cold-roll steel, double-paned tempered-glass doors, a 40-watt...

Secure temperature control.(Product focus: Refrigerators and chillers)
May 1, 2007... The Horizon series (laboratory/pharmacy/chromatography) offers performance, quality, and features that make this line of refrigerators a perfect choice for the lab. The series' laboratory refrigerator configuration includes dual-pane glass...

Powerful database tool.(Product focus: Refrigerators and chillers)
May 1, 2007... Freezerworks 5 is a database tool for laboratories and specimen repositories to manage freezer inventory effectively. Freezerworks takes the guesswork out of managing thousands of frozen samples by tracking product types, quantities, and...

Protect blood products.(Product focus: Refrigerators and chillers)
May 1, 2007... To protect blood products, the Blood Products Temperature Alarm has two sensors on 20-foot cables, requires no paper charts or maintenance, and monitors -100[degrees]C, -80[degrees]C, -20[degrees]C, and 41[degrees]C. It stores and shows a...

Convenience and stability.(Product focus: Refrigerators and chillers)
May 1, 2007... The Model SR-L6111W Laboratory Refrigerator features stable temperature and uniformity with the convenient door-mounted temperature controls. Doors have key locks for added security, as well as integrated alarm functions, remote-alarm contacts,...

POC drugs-of-abuse device.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2007... With only a few drops of urine, the TOX/See one-step, hand-held, point-of-care device for the qualitative detection of drug or drug metabolites has cassettes to detect up to nine drugs including amphetamines, cocaine, opiates, barbiturates, and...

Arsenic-free reagent.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2007... A single-vial, liquid-stable Calcium L3K reagent has received FDA clearance for use in human serum, plasma, and urine specimens. This reagent is arsenic-free and eliminates concerns involving instrument modification for drain and waste lines,...

Workbench solutions.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2007... The Workbench Solutions catalog features a broad range of workbenches and productivity accessories--all manufactured in the United States. This catalog with its large selection is produced for easy review, comparison, and selection of products...

Ultimate protection.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2007... The DL176 fluid-resistant apparel gown offers a design that has the potential to provide alternating sizes; a one-piece seamless front, hidden side-seam pockets, and a full-cut unisex design. The gowns also feature tapered sleeves, adjustable...

Review course.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2007... A new study tool for CLS/MT certificate examination is available on a CD-ROM for use as a student-review course. It includes over 1,000 slides presented in a software system and a self-assessment test, and covers the major areas of the CLS...

Dispenser with tip guide.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2007... The eLINE electronic dispenser has a tip guide that suggests to the user the most suitable tip size, eliminating the chance of improper tip selection. It offers six operating modes, electronic tip ejection, and a volume range from 1 [micro]L to...

Rapid HIV-1/2 test controls.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2007... Xsera Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Controls are solutions of heat-inactivated human plasma and require no reconstitution before use. They feature a two-year shelf life when refrigerated (2[degrees]C to 8[degrees]C) and may be stored for up to 60 days...

Detect fungal infection.(Beacon Diagnostics Inc.'s Fungitell test kit gets FDA approval)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The Fungitell assay is FDA-cleared for the rapid detection of (1[right arrow]3)-[beta]-D-Glucan, an indicator of invasive fungal infection. This one-hour serological test has a very high sensitivity (90%) and specificity (>90%), and is not...

Susceptibility plate.(Industry spotlight)(FDA approval)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... FDA clearance has been granted for automated and manual reading of MIC susceptibilities for Streptococcus species using both the Sensititre ARIS 2X fully automated systems and Sensititre manual platforms. This is the first in vitro...

Eliminate odors.(Industry spotlight)
May 1, 2007... Keep the lab smelling fresh and clean with Terminal Autoclave Deodorants. These self-contained sachets eliminate bad odors produced by biohazard wastes by neutralizing the odors at their source. In four attractive scents, they are convenient...

Customized automation.(Industry spotlight)(Integrated Laboratory Automation Solutions )(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The Efficiency Series is a modular laboratory automation system that is easily configured, providing customized solutions. It was designed to handle STATs in the most efficient manner by automatically directing them to instrument(s) where...

FDA and clinical labs: beginning a dialogue.(Washington report)(Food and Drug Administration)
May 1, 2007... In February, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a public meeting on in vitro diagnostic multivariate index assays (IVDMIA). Despite its arcane subject matter and suburban location, the meeting room was packed with more than 350...