Medical Laboratory Observer articles from September 2003

Medical Laboratory Observer archives from September 2003

The rewards of the journey outweigh the risk of leaving the harbor.(From the editor)(t)(Column)
September 1, 2003... My college-student neighbor, Dorothy, struggled last spring over whether to transfer to a distant university to study journalism. "What do you most enjoy about your career?" she asked. "Hands down," I told her, "the number one reason I enjoy...

"Ambassador" laboratorians work with teachers.(News)
September 1, 2003... By partnering with middle and high school educators to promote their field, clinical laboratorians have become ambassadors for their profession. Through a joint effort of the Pathology Department at the Medical Center of Louisiana in New...

West Nile Virus cases steadily increase.(News)
September 1, 2003... West Nile Virus (WNV) is making a significant impact in the United States this year. By mid-August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the number of WNV cases had tripled in one week. "The numbers are starting to...

Baer to receive ASCP award.(Events)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... On September 19, 2003, in New 0rleans, MLO's editorial advisory board member and "Tips" editor, Daniel M. Baer, MD, FASCP, will receive the Ward Burdick Award for Distinguished Service to Clinical Pathology at the American Society for Clinical...

It's showtime 2003!(Events)
September 1, 2003... Oct. 8-11 Washington G-2 Reports Lab Institute 2003 Arlington, VA www.g2reports.com Oct 19-22 21st Annual International Symposium on Laboratory Automation and Robotics Boston, MA www.islar.com Oct. 22-25...

Laboratory approach to acute and chronic hepatitis.
September 1, 2003... Hepatitis is a common disease worldwide. While the incidence of acute viral hepatitis has fallen by over 80% in the United States in the past decade, there has been increased recognition of chronic viral hepatitis. An estimated 1 million U.S....

CE test on laboratory approach to acute and chronic hepatitis.(Continuing Education)
September 1, 2003... MLO and Northern Illinois University (NIU), DeKalb, IL, are cosponsors in offering continuing education units (CEUs) for this issue's article on LABORATORY APPROACH TO ACUTE AND CHRONIC HEPATITIS. CEUs or contact hours are granted by the...

Anatomy of an exposure: a hospital lab's recovery of Brucella melitensis.(Clinical Issues)(MidMichigan Medical Center)
September 1, 2003... In April of this year, the microbiology techs at the MidMichigan Medical Center in Midland, MI, were exposed to a living culture of Brucella species, a biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) pathogen. Since our laboratory is classified and operates...

Talking with Joe Crowley: Brinkmann's VP of sales and marketing broadens understanding of ergonomics, liquid-handling systems.(Expert opinion)(Henry J. (Joe) Crowley, vice president at Brinkmann Instruments Inc.)(Interview)
September 1, 2003... Dottie Dunham: Brinkmann Instruments is recognized as a major supplier of a variety of products for laboratories. What trends in the clinical laboratory segment of the marketplace do you believe will influence the direction of the company in...

Six-hour sperm motility exam.(Tips from the clinical experts)
September 1, 2003... Q Our present procedure includes: volume, viscosity, count (using Cell-Vu disposable counting chamber), initial motility (done within one hour of collection), morphology (Wright-Giemsa stain), vitality (if motility As I attempt to update...

Enterococcus and group D streptococcus.(Tips from the clinical experts)
September 1, 2003... Q What is the difference between Enterococcus and group D streptococcus? A Streptococci are gram-positive, catalase-negative, facultatively anaerobic cocci. Traditionally, the streptococci were classified by phenotypic criteria, such as...

Glucose tolerance test.(Tips from the clinical experts)
September 1, 2003... Q What are the latest guidelines for glucose tolerance testing, as far as glucose dosage and specimen draw times? What are the latest guidelines for gestational diabetes in regard to glucose amount, draw time, and patient fasting or nonfasting?...

Competition and cooperation: labs in a complex industry.(Lab Management)
September 1, 2003... Hospital laboratories and reference laboratories have symbiotic relationship. While many hospitals and reference labs compete with each other for local outreach testing, we often simultaneously depend on and support one another at the...

Physician satisfaction survey.(Management Q&A)(Panel Discussion)
September 1, 2003... Q Do you have any information concerning questions we could ask on a physician satisfaction survey? Our 125-bed hospital has an outpatient service in the hospital and a satellite drawing station/lab. We also use a reference lab for testing. ...

Walking out of a meeting.(Management Q&A)(Panel Discussion)
September 1, 2003... Q I have recently had an experience of walking out of a meeting. There was no agenda, and no minutes have been produced. Are there any circumstances where a person attending a meeting can walk out? Have I broken a major rule? Could you please...

Cabinets, tables and lighting.(Product focus)
September 1, 2003... Selecting laboratory furniture, storage utilities and lighting fixtures is, at best, a daunting task given the wide choice of systems, units and models currently available. Laboratory furniture design has come a long way. Work areas that once...

To test or not to test?(Liability and the lab)
September 1, 2003... We had an unusual experience last weekend. The police brought in a driver from a DUI accident. The driver appeared to be drunk and needed treatment for some minor injuries. One of the phlebotomists was drawing his blood for studies ordered by...

Triglyceride test kit available.(New Products * New Technology)
September 1, 2003... The L-Type Triglyceride H assay test kit determines the quantity of triglyceride in serum and plasma. This is ah enzymatic method utilizing N-(2-hydroxy-3-sulfopropyl)-3, 5-dimetoxyaniline (HDAOS) to produce blue pigment. The test is not...

Antifungal yeast test.(New Products * New Technology)
September 1, 2003... The new NCCLS M44 antifungal disk test can test yeast species simply, accurately and with high reproducibility. The test utilizes the same method and materials as the NCCLS M2A8 bacterial disk method, but a commercially available...

Insulin pump and monitor.(New Products * New Technology)
September 1, 2003... The recently FDA-approved Paradigm 512 insulin pump and Paradigm Link blood glucose monitor together make managing diabetes easier because they automatically communicate via radio waves. The Bolus Wizard accurately calculates the insulin dose...

Analyzer calibration pack.(New Products * New Technology)
September 1, 2003... The ALKO calibration pack is used for in vitro diagnostics on the Roche AVL 9120/30 electrolyte analyzers, The pack contains calibration solutions for the measurement of Na, K and Cl in patient and QC samples, and features a storage compartment...

Mononucleosis antibody detection.(New Products * New Technology)
September 1, 2003... The recently FDA-cleared Epstein Barr virus (EBV) ELISA range detects antibodies to various EBV antigens in serum, using the ELISA method to diagnose infectious mononucleosis. These assays demonstrate high sensitivity and high specificity both...

Cryptosporidium/Giardia assay.(New Products * New Technology)
September 1, 2003... PARA-TECT is a direct fluorescent assay for Cryptosporidium/Giardia. This is an in vitro immunoassay for the quantitative determination of Cryptosporidium and occysts Giardia cysts in formalin, SAF, or UNIFIX-preserved fecal specimens Specific...

CEDIA cyclosporine assay.(New Products * New Technology)
September 1, 2003... A new test, CEDIA (cloned enzyme donor immunoassay method) Cydosporine (CsA) PLUS, determines the quantitative concentration of CsA in human whole blood. Used in conjunction with other laboratory data, the assay can aid physicians in preventing...

Convenient Chlamydia test.(New Products * New Technology)
September 1, 2003... The ProbeTEC ET CT/GC amplified DNA assay collection kit for endocervical specimens (Wet Swab Transport System) tests for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. To save time and labor, specimens arrive in the lab ready for processing...

Laboratory reagents and stains.(New Products * New Technology)
September 1, 2003... Quality reagents are available in convenient package sizes and configurations, including company's Bactidrop format. Reagents include Phenol Red (pH indicators), PYR (color developers), spot indole and oxidase (preliminary identification), and...

National security and the lab.(Washington report)(Biopreparedness Act)
September 1, 2003... The aftermath of anthrax attacks following the horrific 9/11 events increased fear that terrorists could acquire deadly pathogens from legitimate U.S. laboratories, which led to a series of laws and regulations directly impacting clinical...