Medical Laboratory Observer articles from October 2008

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from October 2008

Pass the lipstick.(From the editor)(Editorial)
October 1, 2008... Five years ago, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that 13,200 new MTs and MLTs would be needed yearly through 2010 to replace retiring workers. For the 13,200 leaving the medical lab in the coming year--ready or not--it is time to...

Repetitive training is key.(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... I thoroughly enjoyed the article by Don Keller on the importance of training employees [MLO, June 2008 "Tune-up for trainers: Help employees stay on top of their game," p. 40]. As someone who trains sales people for a living, I frequently hear,...

A new option.(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... Concerning the "Letter to the Editor" from Pam Elsins [MLO, July 2008, "Lab pro's new perspective," p. 8]. Do you have any more information as to "how" Pam crossed over into industry. I have worked in the field for 30 years and thought there...

Rooster guarding hen house?(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... Dennis Ernst asked the question of whether licensing phlebotomists will improve the quality of specimens and decrease medical errors, in the article [MLO, July 2008, "States fail to follow California's lead in certifying phlebotomists," p. 40]....

Healthcare workers brave storms.(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... I would just like to comment on a tragedy that happened in June due to flooding and tornadoes. I thought it was amazing to see the tremendous outpouring] of help the people offer each other when things go wrong. 1 work in the laboratory; and...

Who?(Readers respond)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... As a medical doctor, I noticed the accidental misspelling of Hippocrates, regarded by some as the "Father of Modern Medicine." He is linked to the Hippocratic Oath that is taken by many medical students; however, it is not clear if he wrote it....

News-Medical.net.(Infectious diseases)(scientists remove ways to control outbreaks of cholera )(Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... News-Medical.net reports that U.S. scientists have established a way to predict outbreaks of cholera, making it easier to control, while also providing a prediction model for other important infectious diseases. A team at the University of...

Antibodies from survivors of the 1918 flu pandemic, now aged 91 to 101.(News)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Antibodies from survivors of the 1918 flu pandemic, now aged 91 to 101, are still protected against the highly deadly virus. The specific 1918 virus--an H1N1 strain--was lost to the world for decades until it was reconstructed three years ago...

In late August, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.(News)(outbreak of salmonella sickened more than 1,400 people, and put 286 in hospitals )(Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... In late August, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials reported that the outbreak of the rare strain of Salmonella St. Paul, which began in April, sickened more than 1,400 people, and put 286 in hospitals in 43 states,...

In early September, according to CNN, the Food and Drug Administration.(News)(Cable News Network)(laws on using of four TNF-alpha blockers)(Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... In early September, according to CNN, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently ordered stronger warnings on four TNF-alpha blockers--which are widely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, juvenile arthritis, certain types...

A website devoted to helping hospitals fight healthcare-associated infection.(News)(Association for Professionals in Infection Control)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... A website devoted to helping hospitals fight healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) was unveiled at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology's (APIC) 35th annual conference in June. The site, www....

The Dark Daily Report's Sept. 5 issue notes that The American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Registry.(News)(contracts between American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Registry and National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel )(Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The Dark Daily Report's Sept. 5 issue notes that The American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Registry (ASCP-BOR) in Chicago and The National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA) in Lenexa, KS, announced a letter of...

HIV/AIDS.(Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... New.s-Medical.net reported in early September that a recent CDC report about new annual HIV infections in the United States excluded data from Puerto Rico, with the fifth-largest concentration of HIV cases nationwide. This omission could have...

Bloodworks.(National Blood Foundation giving education grants)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The National Blood Foundation (NBF) Board of Trustees recently announced the recipients of its 2008 NBF Scientific Research Grants. Each grant recipient receives up to $65,000 to pursue either a one- or two-year research project in the field of...

Worth noting.(death of Gunther Stent)(Obituary)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Gunther Stent--one of the original thinkers in the field of molecular biology whose research wrestled with and validated the breakthrough discovery of the structure of DNA--died June 12 of pneumonia near his home in Haverford, PA, at the age of...

New research from the University of Rochester Medical Center.(New studies)(human herpes virus 6 )(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... New research from the University of Rochester Medical Center shows that some parents pass on the human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) to their children because it is integrated into their chromosomes. This is the first time a virus has been shown to...

Mice genetically engineered to overproduce the brain chemical serotonin died at an early age after developing symptoms.(New studies)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Mice genetically engineered to overproduce the brain chemical serotonin died at an early age after developing symptoms similar to those of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), suggesting improper regulation of serotonin may cause SIDS in...

Conferences.(Conference news)(Calendar)
October 1, 2008... Nov. 3-6. American Public Health Laboratories announces its 20th annual "Newborn Screening and Genetic Testing Symposium" in San Antonio. Review developments in newborn screening and collaborate on strategies to address changes in the rapidly...

The real spin on global flu.(COVER STORY)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)(Cover story)(Statistical data)
October 1, 2008... In an effort to educate MLO readers about the "start-to-finish" activities of an organization engaged in the "flu business," we asked Gregory R. Chiklis, PhD, vice president, Research and Development, ZeptoMetrix Corp. (ZMC) to address the...

Automated urinalysis technology improves efficiency and patient care.(CLINICAL ISSUES)
October 1, 2008... Urinalysis is an invaluable tool for diagnosing urologic conditions, and it currently accounts for one-third of all lab specimens. Urine testing, already prevalent in the clinical lab, is becoming a growing area of focus in microbiology labs as...

Notes on equipment/supplies.(LAB MANAGEMENT)(Column)
October 1, 2008... From The Lab Guy, Tim Dumas I used to assume that all these little, easy-to-use, no mistakes, "anyone can do it" lab kits were all waived for all patients. Not so. I recently had a situation in which a pediatric office lab was no: happy...

Protect from liquid spills.(EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES)
October 1, 2008... BenchGuard is a highly absorbent paper, ideal for protecting benches and surfaces against liquid spills. BenchGuard has a strong polyethylene coating on one side; and when placed paper side up, it quickly absorbs hazardous spills, protecting...

Extended stability for blood-collection tubes.(EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES)
October 1, 2008... The FDA cleared Cyto-Chex BCT, the blood-collection tube that preserves peripheral blood for up to 14 days at room temperature, including HIV-infected patient samples, for immunophenotyping by flow cytometry. The stability claim for the HIV...

Eliminate germ spread.(EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES)
October 1, 2008... Bio-Hazard wipes with a white absorbent side (standard, heavy, and super thicknesses) and bright-orange plastic backing prevent leakage of blood, fluids, and chemicals to hands, gloves, and countertops. With blood, pathogens, and chemical...

Nanogen's Ludvigson blazing technology trails.(Executive snapshot)
October 1, 2008... Acquisitions, collaborations, restructuring goals. Nanogen's acquisitions and collaborations are integral to building a worldwide in vitro diagnostics company that is bringing new and innovative solutions to healthcare providers in the areas of...

Addressing management issues.(Management Q&A)
October 1, 2008... Insubordination in the lab Q What constitutes insubordination, and does failure to respond by a deadline qualify? A Alton Sturtevant advises: "Generally, insubordination is defined as the failure to submit to authority. Examples...

Calling critical values to dialysis.(Answering your questions)
October 1, 2008... Q What is your position on calling chronic critical values? A BUN of 120 mg/dL on a dialysis may not be considered "critical." Currently, our lab calls all critical values, multiple times, for the same patients, the same result. Nurses opine...

Sed-rate control.(Tips from the clinical experts)
October 1, 2008... Q We use commercial sedimentation-rate controls. Frequently, we run out and are told to use a random patient instead. I disagree; this substitution does not prove a thing. The result is just a number in a book with no range as a guideline. I...

Urine sediment dilution.(Tips from the clinical experts)
October 1, 2008... Q In our lab, the hematology/ urinalysis supervisor has been telling technologists to dilute any thick sediment of urine with saline and multiply the result by the factor. I have not followed this because I am afraid, among other things, of...

Calciums do not agree.(Tips from the clinical experts)
October 1, 2008... Q We have been experiencing a problem with calcium being run in our laboratory with a PTH having been ordered for the same patient; the parathyroid hormone (PTH) is a send-out test for us. The calcium done as part of the PTH is always a lot...

Political passions in the lab.
October 1, 2008... Q Election season is upon us. Some lab employees--passionate about their political choices--can get heated up when political discussions start. What latitude does a lab manager have in making these debates "off limits" during working hours? ...

Enhancing the laboratorian's role through automation.(LABS ARE VITAL.COM)
October 1, 2008... While originally viewed by many as expensive, impersonal, and potentially career-threatening, automation has proved to be a valuable asset to laboratory professionals. Automation can help laboratories increase capacity and result quality in...

Accurate identification.(CLARIFICATION)(Correction notice)
October 1, 2008... In the August 2008 issue of MLO, a photograph on page 41 of this Intelli DOT BPA point-of-care transfusion-safety management system was inadvertently placed within a description of a product from NOVA Biomedical, the StatStrip Glucose Monitor...

Coming soon to your lab: NAF for breast-cancer risk assessment.(EDUCATION)
October 1, 2008... A side from non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common from of cancer in women. It is the second most common cause of cancer death in women. (1) Yet, there is currently no definitive way to predict who is most likely to develop...

Application of prostate-specific antigen in prostate cancer.(SPECIAL FEATURE)
October 1, 2008... Prostate cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world and the mosl commonly diagnosed visceral cancer in the United States, representing about 29% of all cancers diagnosed in men each year. In the United States, approximately 218,890...

Minimize risks of broken glass.(Product focus)
October 1, 2008... Safe- Wrap and Safe- Wrap Combo Blood Collection Tubes are Mylar-wrapped glass capillaries treated with calcium-balanced lithium heparin. The puncture-resistant film minimizes risks of broken glass and is regulatory compliant. Safe-Wrap Combo...

Less pain for babies.(Product focus)
October 1, 2008... NeatNick 2.0 is a simple-to-use heel lancet with a high-speed, precision blade that generates a clean-edged incision. That means less pain for babies, less time on lab draws, fewer re-sticks, and fewer rejected samples. Some customers reported...

Accurate creamatocrit measure.(Product focus)
October 1, 2008... Creamatocrit Plus is dedicated to giving a fast, accurate creamatocrit measure. It introduces a simple, inexpensive, and accurate technique for estimating the lipid concentration and caloric density in mothers' milk. It supplies the basic...

Prenatal supervision kits.(Product focus)
October 1, 2008... A new panel of prenatal supervision kits is available: the PLGF ELISA (new marker for preelampsia), and PAPP-A ELISA, as well as the new DRG PKU Neonatal Screening Assay Kit. Preeclampsia, a disorder which only occurs during pregnancy, affects...

Prolactin assay now in USA.(Industry spotlight)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... For use with the company's AU3000i immunoassay system, the Prolactin Assay is a two-step immunometric assay designed for use in most commonly undertaken hormonal investigations evaluating reproductive disorders and suspected breast cancer and...

Double the shelf life.(URINALYSIS)
October 1, 2008... Now with double the room-temperature shelf life, this Sentry Urinalysis Control can be stored for 12 months. This is ideal when monitoring refrigerated products off site or if the environment where urine strips are used lacks refrigeration....

One-stop diabetes-test shopping.(Industry spotlight)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... A complete range of diabetes tests--glucose, fructosamine, and HbA'lc--as well as tests for disease complications--total protein, albumin, microalbumin, creatinine, ketones, and non-esterified fatty acids--ensure comprehen sive patient...

Saves time for techs.(URINALYSIS)
October 1, 2008... The DiaScreen 50 Urine Chemistry Analyzer is designed for use with DiaScreen reagent strips for urinalysis. This analyzer computes the test results, saving time for technicians. It has a throughput of 50 strips per hour and a memory capacity of...

Automation and convenience.(URINALYSIS)
October 1, 2008... The Urisys 2400 offers automation and convenience through easy reagent cassette and sample handling, extended calibration, and on-board stability. This fully automated urinalysis system allows for walkaway capability for medium- to high-volume...

Urine microscopy and chemistry.(URINALYSIS)
October 1, 2008... The iQ200 ELITE fully automated urinalysis system integrates both urine microscopy and urine chemistry into a single workcell. The iQ200 uses patented auto-particle recognition software for auto-classifying urine particles into one of 12...

Clear and accurate results.(URINALYSIS)
October 1, 2008... Urine Reagent Strips (URS) yield clear and accurate results in a time of 30 seconds to two minutes. Results can be interpreted by visual comparison of the reagent pad to the color chart provided or with the line of Uritek Strip readers made by...

Highly sensitive assay.(PSA)(prostate specific antigen )(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The EZ-PSATM One-Step Serum, Plasma or Whole Blood PSA Test is a highly sensitive immunochro-matographic assay that utilizes monoclonal antibodies to detect PSA. This easy-to-use visual test detects levels of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)...

Improve accuracy.(PSA)(prostate specific antigen)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The Hybritech free PSA Test helps determine the percent of free PSA (prostate specific antigen). This measurement improves the accuracy of prostate-cancer detection while eliminating a projected 20% of all prostate biopsies. The free PSA test...

Variety of reagents.(PSA)(prostate specific antigen)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... A variety of reagents for diagnosis and monitoring of prostate cancer using immunohistochemical staining procedures include prediluted and concentrated antibodies for PSA, p63, and P504S (Racemase) is available. Also available is the PIN-4...

Early detection aid.(PSA)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The deCODE ProCa test is a non-invasive, DNA-based reference lab test for the first genetic risk factors ever found to confer risk for a common type of cancer in the general population. These markers are not dependent on a family history of...

New antibody available.(PSA)
October 1, 2008... This company has added a new antibody to its portfolio of prostate-cancer products. The new antibody, directed at the P504S marker, allows differentiation' of both pre-malignant and malignant prostate tumors from benig prostate tissues. This...

Missing evidence.(Washington report)(Merck & Company Inc.)(laws of Food and Drug Administration regarding drug safety)
October 1, 2008... The drug approval process is Hawed--in some cases, fatally. Recent weeks have seen several reports of potentially serious problems that put life, and, by extension, the industry, at risk. The New England Journal of Medicine recently tiled an...