1. Home
  2. News
  3. Lab Ambassador - Archive

Lab Ambassador - Archive

By Elizabeth Walker | July 1 2007

Coagulation

*Effective January 2, 2007 the coagulation laboratory will offer a panel of tests called "DIC Work up". Pneumonic is DIC.

This panel of tests will aid in ordering and diagnosis when Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) is suspected. The tests included are PT7, INR, PTT, Fibrinogen, Advanced D-Dimer, and a Platelet count.

* Special Coagulation will now be offering two new tests, ASPIRIN and PLAVIX. These tests will be performed M-F from 8-3 P.M. ONLY. These tests CANNOT be tubed to the laboratory!!

* Effective September 17, 2007, Inpatient Bleeding Time testing will no longer be available. However, Outpatient bleeding times will continue to be available in the outpatient phlebotomy areas. Any questions please contact Dr. Steven Pipe at 647-2893 or pager 3875.

* Special Coagulation will now be offering two new tests, ASPIRIN and PLAVIX. These tests will be performed M-F from 8-3 P.M. ONLY.

* An aPTT critical value of >100 seconds will be called to the patient unit. This  change is being made to better reflect the current heparin dosing protocol established for patients being treated with heparin and being followed by the aPTT test.

* Effective June 4, 2007, all coagulation tests with the exception of the PLT Aggregation can now be tubed in the pneumatic tube system. The  PLT Aggregation test should be scheduled with the Coagulation lab.


Microbiology

* Effective September 2007, Microbiology is now offering testing for Enterovirus detection by PCR and Bordetella pertusis detection by PCR. These tests will be run once per day. See Pathology Handbook for specifications.

* Beginning August 27, 2007, MSC will be the new source for certain products that have been historically provided by the Microbiology lab.

Item #    Description

43083     KIT, STOOL SPECIMEN ECOFIX GREEN
43084     KIT, STOOL SPECIMEN CULTURE & SENSITIVITY ORANGE
43085     KIT, AEROBIC SWAB
43086    TUBE, ANAEROBIC
43089    BOTTLE, BLOOD CULTURE AEROBIC BACT GREEN
43090    BOTTLE, BLOOD CULTURE ANAEROBIC BACT ORANGE
43087    TUBE, TEST VIRAL CHLAMYDIA & GC M4 W/ SWAB

Please call 936-6077 to order these products.  Between August 27 -September 7, 2007 MSC will be adding these products to appropriate PAR carts based on historic usage.  Please contact Derek Huntman with any questions at 647-6789.

Hematology

January 2007:  Westergren tests should be collected in a black top tube.  Blue top tubes will not be accepted by the laboratory.  This change was made to accomodate the new Westergren instrument (which automatically reads the result) and to avoid the confusion between the blue top tubes for Coagulation  and blue top tubes for Westergrens.  New Hematology requisitions reflecting the tube type change for Westergrens will be available shortly.

Chemistry

* With the implementation of some LEAN systems, the Chemistry lab does not order most STAT specimens.  This task has been assigned to the staff in Central Distribution.  This should result in a decreased turn around time for results.

* Effective June 2007, the Chemistry lab has two, new, ionized calcium instruments, which replace the single instrument the lab had previously.  With two instruments there should be a quicker turn around time for ionized calcium results

 
lab ambassadors clinical pathology
Rate this Article: