Medical Laboratory Observer articles from November 2003

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from November 2003

Einstein vs. Diplodocus.(Editorial)
November 1, 2003... A friend faulted me the other day for my slap-dash computer skills, disbelieving that I could not perform certain functions that he found to be part-and-parcel of his daily routine. "I don't have to use those things, so I haven't bothered to...

Talking dangerous germs.(News)(cell phones and ECG wires can spread dangerous germs)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Talking dangerous germs. Studies presented at the September American Society for Microbiology's annual infectious diseases conference in Chicago highlighted the danger of hospital-acquired infections. One in 20 patients contracts such an...

It's showtime!(News)(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... December 4-9 46th Annual Meeting and Expo The American Society of Hematology (ASH) San Diego, CA www.hematology.org

From California to Canada.(Continuing Education)
November 1, 2003... Sharing experiences among laboratory professionals is an opportunity for learning. When the California Association for Medical Laboratory Technology (CAMLT) embarked from Montreal, Canada, on its sixth educational cruise, my assignment was to...

von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.(Cover Story)
November 1, 2003... In patients with TTP, absent or severely reduced activity of ADAMTS 13 prevents timely cleavage of unusually large multimers of von Willebrand factor as they are secreted by endothelial cells. In flowing blood, the uncleaved multimers induce...

Fifty years of hematology innovation: the Coulter Principle.(Retrospective)
November 1, 2003... Medical history is often a subject of contemplation for those of us who have witnessed decades of phenomenal advancements. This year, as we mark the 50th anniversary of the Coulter Principle, a novel method of counting microscopic particles,...

Products, innovations and productivity: Dr. Wolfgang Hartwig outlines Bayer Diagnostics' challenges.(Expert Opinion)(Interview)
November 1, 2003... Dottie Dunham: Bayer Diagnostics provides healthcare products worldwide. What global trends will most affect your company's clinical laboratory segment in the next five years? Wolfgang Hartwig: There continues to be constant change and...

MLO 2004: Medical Lab of the Year Award.(Medical Laboratory Observer)
November 1, 2003... This award coincides with National Medical Laboratory Week and allows medical laboratorians nationwide to demonstrate their contributions to quality patient care. The winner and two runners-up will be featured in the April 2004 issue of Medical...

Hemythology: 10 myths of hematology; are you a believer?(Clinical Issues)
November 1, 2003... Here are 10 generally accepted concepts from the hematology lab, and the reality checks for each. What is your own "myth factor"? MYTH #1: Band counts are important. REALITY: It is hard to make a case for the importance of a parameter...

Committee tackles agenda.(CLIAC Update)(Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee, meeting)
November 1, 2003... The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee (CLIAC) met Sept. 17-18, 2003. This meeting marked the first for new chair, Dr. David Sundwall, and 11 of the 19 committee members. A familiar name to the laboratory industry, Dr. Sundwall...

Direct access testing demands specific lab responsibilities.(Liability and the Lab)(Column)
November 1, 2003... Q Our state allows patients to order laboratory tests directly. What is the lab's responsibility when this sort of test is ordered? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Historically, medical professionals--including...

The quest to balance talent and technology.(Lab Management)
November 1, 2003... As laboratory manager at Nebraska's Columbus Community Hospital (CCH), it is incumbent upon me to strike a critical balance between building upon my staff's expertise and advantageously utilizing the technology available in our laboratory...

Standing orders and Medicare.(Addressing Issues on Standing Orders and Medicare, and Procrastination Revisited)(Panel Discussion)
November 1, 2003... Q Our hospital operates a small extended-care facility with the same physicians covering clinic, hospital, hospice and extended-care patients. The extended-care facility sends urine samples to the hospital lab with instructions to culture, if...

More on procrastination.(Addressing Issues on Standing Orders and Medicare, and Procrastination Revisited)(Panel Discussion)
November 1, 2003... Q Is it possible that a person might procrastinate because he is afraid of success, rather than failure? Is it possible that procrastination occurs because--when a person has done the right things at the right times and for the right...

Stab cells.(An Interesting Array of Lab Queries Gets Expert Attention)(banded neutrophils )
November 1, 2003... Q Why are banded neutrophils called "stabs"? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Early in the last century, Paul Ehrlich developed staining techniques for examining blood films. A variety of nucleated cells were found,...

Freezer standards.(An Interesting Array of Lab Queries Gets Expert Attention)
November 1, 2003... Q I am trying to find a reference that gives official temperature ranges for refrigerators and freezers. Is there a CLIA standard? Our freezers are typically used for frozen specimens. Our reference laboratory did not have an answer. A Our...

Using Cary-Blair medium with enteric pathogens.(An Interesting Array of Lab Queries Gets Expert Attention)
November 1, 2003... Q There is often a delay in processing fecal specimens for enteric pathogens. Will the use of Cary-Blair transport medium preserve the viability of the enteric pathogens during transport to the laboratory? A The recovery of intestinal...

Complete lipid profile.(POCT Supplements Clinical Lab Services)
November 1, 2003... Intended to supplement rather than replace central laboratory services, point-of-care testing (POCT) refers to the analytical near-patient testing provided within a healthcare institution, but performed outside the physical facility of a...

Handheld chemical analyzer.(POCT Supplements Clinical Lab Services)
November 1, 2003... The new palm-sized, CLIA-waived PocketChem UA is an automated POC urinalysis analyzer that tests for GLU, KET, BIL, URO, pH, PRO, BLD, LEU, SG and NT. Designed for use with ARKRAY Aution Sticks 10TA for urinalysis, the system standardizes urine...

Benchtop critical-care analysis.(POCT Supplements Clinical Lab Services)
November 1, 2003... The GEM Premier 3000 is a blood gas, electrolyte, glucose, lactate and hematocrit analyzer. The system's analytical performance is based on state-of-the-art planar sensors, providing simplicity that streamlines every aspect of blood gas...

Cardio multimarker panel.(POCT Supplements Clinical Lab Services)
November 1, 2003... The Triage Cardio ProfilER combines four markers of cardiovascular disease in one test panel, providing rapid, simultaneous, quantitative measurement of creatinine kinase, myoglobin, all forms of troponin 1 and b-type natriuretic peptide within...

Plug-and-play connectivity.(POCT Supplements Clinical Lab Services)
November 1, 2003... An innovative stat analyzer offers seven test menus, including as few as three tests to as many as 19 measured and 29 calculated tests. The Stat Profile Critical Care Xpress can measure blood gases, electrolytes, chemistry and hematology with...

Photometric technology.(POCT Supplements Clinical Lab Services)
November 1, 2003... The SureStepFlexx Professional Blood Glucose Monitoring System, together with SureStepPro Test Strips, brings photometric technology to the point of care, delivering accurate and precise results in three easy-to-use steps. Safe and convenient,...

In vitro diagnostics.(POCT Supplements Clinical Lab Services)
November 1, 2003... A broad line of POC products, under the Instant-View brand, aid in the detection of drugs of abuse, fertility and cancer markers. A new addition is the Instant-View Fecal Occult Blood II Test, a rapid lateral flow immunoassay designed to detect...

Rapid immunological test.(POCT Supplements Clinical Lab Services)
November 1, 2003... The Link2 H. Pylori Rapid Test is a CLIA-waived, dry-chemistry, immunological rapid test for the detection of antibodies to Helicobacter pylori, the causative agent of Type B chronic gastritis. Designed to give a positive result in patients who...

Qualitative DOA results.(POCT Supplements Clinical Lab Services)
November 1, 2003... For the qualitative detection of DOA in human urine, the OnTrak TesTcard 9 panel is a simple yet rapid diagnostic device for the qualitative detection of nine illicit drugs: cocaine, THC (marijuana), barbiturates, benzodiazepines,...

Layered Thin Film technology.(POCT Supplements Clinical Lab Services)
November 1, 2003... Layered Thin Film technology has been incorporated into a new rapid POCT platform that is easy to read, quick, extremely precise--and is as small and thin as a credit card. The first two tests available are in the infectious vaginitis category:...

Clarification.(POCT Supplements Clinical Lab Services)
November 1, 2003... In the October 2003 issue of MLO, page 44, "Innovations in blood collection" the Myco Medical product photo should have been the Vaku-8 Plus, rather than the Unolok Plus infusion set as was pictured. In addition, the product description...

Self-contained swabs.(Industry Update)
November 1, 2003... Self-contained and ready to use, the BactiSwab line of collection and transport swabs features round-bottom, polypropylene tubes, which fit easily into storage racks and are nonflexible, preventing media dehydration. The spiral-shaped,...

Link labs.(Industry Update)
November 1, 2003... The browser-based system, Orchard Copia, has been designed to link laboratories with the physician community to simplify order management and consolidate results delivery. The system takes advantage of multisite communications and enhanced...

Reportable result efficiency.(Industry Update)
November 1, 2003... The VITROS 5,1 FS Chemistry System combines proven MicroSlide technology for the highest reportable result efficiency and Intellicheck technology for system monitoring and advanced clot and bubble detection. In addition, joining the system is...

Enhanced hardware and software.(Industry Update)
November 1, 2003... The enhanced AxSYM 5.0 automated immunoassay system features advanced computer software that allows quicker access to commonly used laboratory data relating to patient results, stored quality control results and status of test orders....

Acid isolation techniques.(Industry Update)
November 1, 2003... The Eppendorf Phase Lock Gel (PLG) provides a cost- and time-effective means of separating organic and aqueous phases. When PLG is placed in a tube with an aqueous/organic extraction solution and then centrifuged, the PLG migrates to form an...

Hepatitis B surface antigen.(Industry Update)
November 1, 2003... The improved Genetic Systems HBsAg EIA 3.0 Screening Assay is intended for screening blood and blood products for transfusion or for further manufacture into plasma products for Hepatitis B surface antigen. There is also a new Genetic Systems...

Bulk Ristocetin sulfate.(Industry Update)
November 1, 2003... Intended for use in the detection/quantitation of the von Willebrand factor and identification of Bernard-Soulier syndrome, AggRecetin is now available in bulk quantity of 100-mg vials. AggRecetin contains in excess of 90% Ristocetin A, which...

Automated leucoreduction.(Industry Update)
November 1, 2003... Specifically developed for the analysis of leucoreduced blood products, the BD IMAGN System is a compact, automated bench-top cytometer that evaluates the amount of residual white blood cells in blood and platelet products. Providing accurate...

Technology-new design.(Industry Update)
November 1, 2003... The new DM DigitalMicroscope series intuitively and easily automates complex routines to suit specific needs. The ergonomically improved hardware introduces totally new software components, providing overall control from one interface to...

AMT steps up advocacy efforts.(Washington Report)(American Medical Technologists)
November 1, 2003... For most of its 64-year existence, American Medical Technologists (AMT) had focused on its core mission of providing professional certification and continuing education to clinical laboratory personnel. AMT occasionally was involved in...