The defendant is accused of negligence through failing to train its employees, failing to safely draw blood and other negligence.
Read more:
Phlebotomist sued for allegedly injuring nerve in woman's arm while trying to draw blood | Louisiana Record
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Phlebotomist sued for injuring nerve during blood draw in USA
According to the claim, Kelly Soileau, was a patient at the defendant's office where she was having some blood drawn on July 30, 2015. The suit states that an employee of the defendant caused the plaintiff injury to her medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve in her left arm.
The defendant is accused of negligence through failing to train its employees, failing to safely draw blood and other negligence.
Read more:
Phlebotomist sued for allegedly injuring nerve in woman's arm while trying to draw blood | Louisiana Record
Source: Louisiana Record
The defendant is accused of negligence through failing to train its employees, failing to safely draw blood and other negligence.
Read more:
Phlebotomist sued for allegedly injuring nerve in woman's arm while trying to draw blood | Louisiana Record
What to Know Before Buying Pipettes
The viscosity of the sample will have a direct influence on which pipette is required. For aqueous samples which are low viscosity, an air displacement pipette is ideal. These pipettes are driven by a piston in an airtight sleeve which generates a vacuum. For more viscous or heavy liquids, a positive displacement pipette should be used. These pipettes are driven by a disposable piston which comes into direct contact with the sample.
How will samples required for PCR, ELISA, or other immunoassay applications affect which pipette should be used?
Read more:
What to Know Before Buying Pipettes
Source: Lab Manager
How will samples required for PCR, ELISA, or other immunoassay applications affect which pipette should be used?
Read more:
What to Know Before Buying Pipettes
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Pokemon Goes Lab
The new game Pokémon Go is certainly a popular craze, but is it good for your health?
Pokémon Go involves the use of a smartphone app in a virtual scavenger hunt for cartoon characters, but in real locations. Glasgow general practitioner and BMJ columnist Dr Margaret McCartney believes the game's health benefits may outweigh its well-documented risks.
"Most health apps that promote physical activity tend to get users who want to be healthy. Pokémon Go isn't marketed as a health app, but players still end up doing a lot of walking,"
Read more:
Do the Health Benefits of Pokemon Go Outweigh the Risks?
Source: Medscape
Pokémon Go involves the use of a smartphone app in a virtual scavenger hunt for cartoon characters, but in real locations. Glasgow general practitioner and BMJ columnist Dr Margaret McCartney believes the game's health benefits may outweigh its well-documented risks.
"Most health apps that promote physical activity tend to get users who want to be healthy. Pokémon Go isn't marketed as a health app, but players still end up doing a lot of walking,"
Read more:
Do the Health Benefits of Pokemon Go Outweigh the Risks?
Source: Medscape
10 Steps to Learn ECG Interpretation
Learning the art of ECG interpretation requires intellect, commitment, effort and perhaps most importantly...an organized approach. I personally have spent thousands of hours (yes thousands) looking at 12-lead ECG tracings, studying ECGs for the cardiology boards, interpreting ECGs for direct patient care and developing the ECG tutorials and quizzes of LearnTheHeart.com.
I assume that most of you reading this blog do not have that much time...so let me share with you what I have discovered in my years teaching ECGs to make the process more simple and perhaps even enjoyable.
Read more:
10 Steps to Learn ECG Interpretation
Source: Learntheheart.com
I assume that most of you reading this blog do not have that much time...so let me share with you what I have discovered in my years teaching ECGs to make the process more simple and perhaps even enjoyable.
Read more:
10 Steps to Learn ECG Interpretation
Why people with type O blood more likely to die of cholera
Cholera sickens 3 million to 5 million people around the world every year, leading to 100,000 to 120,000 deaths, many of them in the Indian subcontinent, where cholera has been endemic for centuries.
People with blood type O often get more severely ill from cholera than people of other blood types. In people with blood type O, scientists found that cholera toxin hyperactivates a key signaling molecule in intestinal cells. High levels of that signaling molecule lead to excretion of electrolytes and water – in other words, diarrhea. Cholera is marked by severe diarrhea that can lead to dehydration, shock and even death.
The researchers confirmed their results in an intestinal cell line originally derived from a person with blood type A. The cell line was modified to produce the type O antigen instead. They found that cholera toxin induced roughly double the amount of the key signaling molecule in cells with type O antigen than in those with type A.
Read more:
Study may explain why people with type O blood more likely to die of cholera
Source: Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
People with blood type O often get more severely ill from cholera than people of other blood types. In people with blood type O, scientists found that cholera toxin hyperactivates a key signaling molecule in intestinal cells. High levels of that signaling molecule lead to excretion of electrolytes and water – in other words, diarrhea. Cholera is marked by severe diarrhea that can lead to dehydration, shock and even death.
The researchers confirmed their results in an intestinal cell line originally derived from a person with blood type A. The cell line was modified to produce the type O antigen instead. They found that cholera toxin induced roughly double the amount of the key signaling molecule in cells with type O antigen than in those with type A.
Read more:
Study may explain why people with type O blood more likely to die of cholera
Source: Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Monday, August 29, 2016
Automated Gram Stainer
These days, your microbiology lab faces increased staffing, time and workflow pressures. Yet you can’t let that influence your quality standards: accuracy, time-to-results and full traceability for accreditation. Automated and designed for intuitive workflow, PREVI® Color Gram gives you confidence in the results you provide. It makes Gram staining easy and safe while ensuring accurate, standardized results in minutes.
Read more
PREVI® Color Gram - Automated Gram Stainer
Source: bioMérieux Clinical Diagnostics
Read more
PREVI® Color Gram - Automated Gram Stainer
CDC: Sexual Transmission of Zika Possible Without Symptoms
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today released the first solid evidence that a man infected with Zika, but who never develops symptoms, can sexually transmit the virus to a female partner.
An article published online in the agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) described the case of a woman who contracted Zika after having condomless vaginal intercourse and fellatio with a male partner after he came back from the Dominican Republic, where mosquitos are spreading the virus. The man said he had been exposed to mosquitos during his travels, but had not experienced fever, rash, conjunctivitis, or other hallmarks of Zika before or after returning to the United States. He said he had felt fatigued, but chalked that up to travel.
The man subsequently tested positive for antibodies against both Zika virus and dengue virus. The woman, who developed fever, rash, and other Zika symptoms, tested positive for Zika virus RNA in her urine.
Read more:
CDC: Sexual Transmission of Zika Possible Without Symptoms
Soure: Medscape
Image: Davina diaries
An article published online in the agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) described the case of a woman who contracted Zika after having condomless vaginal intercourse and fellatio with a male partner after he came back from the Dominican Republic, where mosquitos are spreading the virus. The man said he had been exposed to mosquitos during his travels, but had not experienced fever, rash, conjunctivitis, or other hallmarks of Zika before or after returning to the United States. He said he had felt fatigued, but chalked that up to travel.
The man subsequently tested positive for antibodies against both Zika virus and dengue virus. The woman, who developed fever, rash, and other Zika symptoms, tested positive for Zika virus RNA in her urine.
Read more:
CDC: Sexual Transmission of Zika Possible Without Symptoms
Image: Davina diaries
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Bacterial Culture Quiz
Can you identify these five bacteria growing on chromogenic agar plate?
Quiz by Eriq Khaled
Source: Facbook by Eriq Khaled Microbes
Correct answer:
E : Klebsiella pneumoniae
R : Serratia marcescens
I : Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Q: Staphylococcus lugdunensis
Heart: E coli
Quiz by Eriq Khaled
Correct answer:
E : Klebsiella pneumoniae
R : Serratia marcescens
I : Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Q: Staphylococcus lugdunensis
Heart: E coli
Deadly fungal infections acquire drug resistance
Scientists have warned that potentially deadly fungal infections are acquiring resistance to many of the medicines currently used to combat them. More than a million people die of fungal infections every year,including about 7,000 in the UK, and deaths are likely to increase as resistance continues to rise.
Researchers say the widespread use of fungicides on crops is one of the main causes of the rise in fungal resistance, which mirrors the rise of resistance to antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections in humans.
Read more:
Millions at risk as deadly fungal infections acquire drug resistance
Source: The Guardian
Image: Rob Forman
Researchers say the widespread use of fungicides on crops is one of the main causes of the rise in fungal resistance, which mirrors the rise of resistance to antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections in humans.
Read more:
Millions at risk as deadly fungal infections acquire drug resistance
Image: Rob Forman
Contamination of Laboratory Equipment with Bloodborne Pathogens
Clinical laboratory workers encounter a variety of occupational hazards,
including exposure to infectious agents. The routes of pathogen
exposure associated with laboratory work include ingestion, inhalation,
direct inoculation, and contamination of skin and mucous membranes.
The accidental inoculation of infectious materials (i.e., via
contaminated needles, broken glass, or other sharps) is the leading
cause of laboratory-associated infections.
The fear associated with the recent Ebola virus epidemic triggered a renewed interest in occupationally acquired infections in healthcare workers in the US, including the safety of laboratory workers in handling samples from persons under investigation for Ebola virus disease. Individuals at risk for Ebola virus disease are also at risk for several other infectious diseases with overlapping symptom profiles (such as malaria, influenza, and bacteremia) thus obligating a number of diagnostic laboratory tests. In addition, the clinical management of patients with Ebola virus disease requires ongoing laboratory testing to optimize care (such as complete blood count, coagulation testing, electrolyte analysis, etc.). Laboratory testing for suspect or confirmed Ebola virus disease patients is unfamiliar to most healthcare workers in the US, and thus determining the safest approach to this testing generated anxiety and controversy.
Ebola virus and other emerging pathogens will continue to be encountered in the clinical laboratory. It is the joint responsibility of laboratorians and laboratory leadership to create a culture of safety and adherence to safety protocols, which are essential to reduce the risk of laboratory-acquired infections.
Read more:
Can't Touch This! Contamination of Laboratory Equipment with Bloodborne Pathogens
Source: Clinical Chemistry
The fear associated with the recent Ebola virus epidemic triggered a renewed interest in occupationally acquired infections in healthcare workers in the US, including the safety of laboratory workers in handling samples from persons under investigation for Ebola virus disease. Individuals at risk for Ebola virus disease are also at risk for several other infectious diseases with overlapping symptom profiles (such as malaria, influenza, and bacteremia) thus obligating a number of diagnostic laboratory tests. In addition, the clinical management of patients with Ebola virus disease requires ongoing laboratory testing to optimize care (such as complete blood count, coagulation testing, electrolyte analysis, etc.). Laboratory testing for suspect or confirmed Ebola virus disease patients is unfamiliar to most healthcare workers in the US, and thus determining the safest approach to this testing generated anxiety and controversy.
Ebola virus and other emerging pathogens will continue to be encountered in the clinical laboratory. It is the joint responsibility of laboratorians and laboratory leadership to create a culture of safety and adherence to safety protocols, which are essential to reduce the risk of laboratory-acquired infections.
Read more:
Can't Touch This! Contamination of Laboratory Equipment with Bloodborne Pathogens
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Laboratory Identification of Malaria Parasites
Microscopy
Microscopy (morphologic analysis) continues to be the "gold standard" for malaria diagnosis. Parasites may be visualized on both thick and thin blood smears stained with Giemsa, Wright, or Wright-Giemsa stains. Giemsa is the preferred stain, as it allows for detection of certain morphologic features (e.g. Schüffner’s dots, Maurer’s clefts, etc.) that may not be seen with the other two. Ideally, the thick smears are used to detect the presence of parasites while the thin smears are used for species-level identification. Quantification may be done on both thick and thin smears.
Molecular diagnosis
Morphologic characteristics of malaria parasites can determine a parasite species, however, microscopists may occasionally fail to differentiate between species in cases where morphologic characteristics overlap (especially Plasmodium vivax and P. ovale), as well as in cases where parasite morphology has been altered by drug treatment or improper storage of the sample. In such cases, the Plasmodium species can be determined by using confirmatory molecular diagnostic tests. In addition, molecular tests such as PCR can detect parasites in specimens where the parasitemia may be below the detectable level of blood film examination.
Antibody detection
Malaria antibody detection for clinical diagnosis is performed using the indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test. The IFA procedure can be used as a diagnostic tool to determine if a patient has been infected with Plasmodium. Because of the time required for development of antibody and also the persistence of antibodies, serologic testing is not practical for routine diagnosis of acute malaria. However, antibody detection may be useful for:
screening blood donors involved in cases of transfusion-induced malaria when the donor's parasitemia may be below the detectable level of blood film examination
testing a patient who has been recently treated for malaria but in whom the diagnosis is questioned
Read more:
CDC - DPDx - Malaria - Diagnostic Findings
Source: CDC
Microscopy (morphologic analysis) continues to be the "gold standard" for malaria diagnosis. Parasites may be visualized on both thick and thin blood smears stained with Giemsa, Wright, or Wright-Giemsa stains. Giemsa is the preferred stain, as it allows for detection of certain morphologic features (e.g. Schüffner’s dots, Maurer’s clefts, etc.) that may not be seen with the other two. Ideally, the thick smears are used to detect the presence of parasites while the thin smears are used for species-level identification. Quantification may be done on both thick and thin smears.
Molecular diagnosis
Morphologic characteristics of malaria parasites can determine a parasite species, however, microscopists may occasionally fail to differentiate between species in cases where morphologic characteristics overlap (especially Plasmodium vivax and P. ovale), as well as in cases where parasite morphology has been altered by drug treatment or improper storage of the sample. In such cases, the Plasmodium species can be determined by using confirmatory molecular diagnostic tests. In addition, molecular tests such as PCR can detect parasites in specimens where the parasitemia may be below the detectable level of blood film examination.
Antibody detection
Malaria antibody detection for clinical diagnosis is performed using the indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test. The IFA procedure can be used as a diagnostic tool to determine if a patient has been infected with Plasmodium. Because of the time required for development of antibody and also the persistence of antibodies, serologic testing is not practical for routine diagnosis of acute malaria. However, antibody detection may be useful for:
screening blood donors involved in cases of transfusion-induced malaria when the donor's parasitemia may be below the detectable level of blood film examination
testing a patient who has been recently treated for malaria but in whom the diagnosis is questioned
Read more:
CDC - DPDx - Malaria - Diagnostic Findings
POC drug screening quiz
Why might some providers want to use point-of-care (POC) urinary drug screen testing in pain management clinics?
Take the quiz and check your knowledge.
Related CLN article:
Pitfalls of Point-of-Care Urinary Drug Screening for Pain Management
Source: AACC
- The most common reasons are convenience and fast turnaround time. Having immediate test results fosters patient engagement and satisfaction by reducing wait time and enabling practitioners to provide immediate consultations. The positive versus negative screen result is also easy for providers and patients to understand.
- Another reason is cost. In the eyes of general practitioners, it is
cheaper to purchase urinary drug test cups than to send a test to a
central or reference laboratory. However, proper pain management testing
often requires additional mass spectrometry–based drug testing.
Take the quiz and check your knowledge.
Related CLN article:
Pitfalls of Point-of-Care Urinary Drug Screening for Pain Management
Source: AACC
Friday, August 26, 2016
Agar Smiley
Emojis, the faces and smileys found on our phones and computers, have become a cultural phenomena affecting not only the way we communicate, but how we express our emotions. These icons have become widely used by celebrities, politicians, and major brands across the internet; Oxford dictionaries named ("Face with Tears of Joy") their Word of the Year for 2015. We chose to recreate some of our favorite emojis using six different bacterial species: Serratia marcescens, Chromobacterium violaceum, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, Micrococcus roseus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis
Read more
The Emojis of Our Lives
Source FB via ASM
Read more
The Emojis of Our Lives
Coffee alarm clock for laboratory scientists
Waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee is one of life's singular pleasures. Too bad it comes with a downside: someone actually has to be awake and out of bed to brew it. Enter the most amazing thing to happen to coffee addicts worldwide — an alarm clock that brews your coffee.
Just a must for lab scientists.
Read more:
Barisieur Alarm Clocks Brews You Coffee
Source: GH
Just a must for lab scientists.
Read more:
Barisieur Alarm Clocks Brews You Coffee
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Blood Eosinophil Level Predicts Severity of Asthma
Asthma represents a significant clinical and economic burden to the US healthcare system. Along with other clinical manifestations of the disease, elevated sputum and blood eosinophil levels are observed in patients experiencing asthma exacerbations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between blood eosinophil levels and asthma severity defined using Expert Panel Report 3 guidelines.
Among 1,144 patients with an asthma diagnosis, 60 % were classified as having moderate-to-severe asthma. Twenty four percent of patients with moderate-to-severe asthma and 19 % of patients with mild asthma had an elevated peripheral eosinophil count (p = 0.053). Logistic regression showed that moderate-to-severe asthma was associated with 38 % increased odds of elevated eosinophil level (OR 1.38, 95 % CI: 1.02 to 1.86, p = 0.04).
Patients with moderate-severe asthma are significantly more likely to have an elevated peripheral eosinophil count than patients with mild asthma
Read more:
Blood Eosinophil Markers to Predict Severity of Asthma
Source: Medscape
Among 1,144 patients with an asthma diagnosis, 60 % were classified as having moderate-to-severe asthma. Twenty four percent of patients with moderate-to-severe asthma and 19 % of patients with mild asthma had an elevated peripheral eosinophil count (p = 0.053). Logistic regression showed that moderate-to-severe asthma was associated with 38 % increased odds of elevated eosinophil level (OR 1.38, 95 % CI: 1.02 to 1.86, p = 0.04).
Patients with moderate-severe asthma are significantly more likely to have an elevated peripheral eosinophil count than patients with mild asthma
Read more:
Blood Eosinophil Markers to Predict Severity of Asthma
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Musical Neutrophils
Musical neutrophils found in a variety of blood smears
Read more:
A Bloody Symphony
Source: IHeartHisto
Read more:
A Bloody Symphony
Status of laboratory testing for HIV
Two years have passed since the CDC finally published guidelines addressing HIV laboratory testing and officially endorsed the “new” HIV laboratory testing algorithm. Although many had become aware of the algorithm in the four years prior, and had adopted it to various degrees, this was the final word on this long-awaited guidance. The algorithm gained visibility prior to the official endorsement mainly because it had been heavily referenced in CDC publications and numerous scientific articles.
View algorithm here
The new algorithm, however, has presented some real challenges for the laboratory. The biggest adjustment to adopting the new algorithm has been replacing the Western blot with an HIV-1/HIV-2 differentiation assay. The only assay with this capability until recently was the Multispot (Bio-Rad). However, the Multispot is no longer available and will be replaced with Bio-Rad’s Geenius. Although the Geenius is also a single use test (FDA-cleared) for confirming reactive HIV screen results and differentiating between HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies, it differs from the Multispot in a number of important aspects. The test uses either recombinant or synthetic peptides corresponding to four HIV-1 antigens, gp160, gp41, p31 and p24, and two corresponding to HIV-2 antigens, gp140 and gp36. There are eight possible interpretations based on the pattern observed. Performance characteristics are comparable to Multispot. Sensitivity is 100 percent for both assays, and specificity values are 99.1 percent and 96.3 percent for the Multispot and Geenius, respectively. The results can be read within 30 minutes and are interpreted using an automated cassette reader, therefore eliminating inter-observer subjectivity. The cassette system also allows for placement of a bar code label on each specimen, improving sample tracking. Additionally, because software is necessary for interpretation, the results are digitally captured, automatically recorded, and stored.
Read more:
The status of laboratory testing for the diagnosis of HIV infection
Source: MLO
View algorithm here
The new algorithm, however, has presented some real challenges for the laboratory. The biggest adjustment to adopting the new algorithm has been replacing the Western blot with an HIV-1/HIV-2 differentiation assay. The only assay with this capability until recently was the Multispot (Bio-Rad). However, the Multispot is no longer available and will be replaced with Bio-Rad’s Geenius. Although the Geenius is also a single use test (FDA-cleared) for confirming reactive HIV screen results and differentiating between HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies, it differs from the Multispot in a number of important aspects. The test uses either recombinant or synthetic peptides corresponding to four HIV-1 antigens, gp160, gp41, p31 and p24, and two corresponding to HIV-2 antigens, gp140 and gp36. There are eight possible interpretations based on the pattern observed. Performance characteristics are comparable to Multispot. Sensitivity is 100 percent for both assays, and specificity values are 99.1 percent and 96.3 percent for the Multispot and Geenius, respectively. The results can be read within 30 minutes and are interpreted using an automated cassette reader, therefore eliminating inter-observer subjectivity. The cassette system also allows for placement of a bar code label on each specimen, improving sample tracking. Additionally, because software is necessary for interpretation, the results are digitally captured, automatically recorded, and stored.
Read more:
The status of laboratory testing for the diagnosis of HIV infection
Source: MLO
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Sepsis - How can a hematology laboratory help?
Sepsis, the inflammatory response to infection, is quickly becoming one of the biggest healthcare problems worldwide. No matter the perspective one takes, the numbers are staggering. Currently the number of diagnosed cases per year in the United States is at least 750,000; some estimates surpass one million. Worldwide mortality estimates are as high as 20 percent, and thus we are dealing with one of the biggest drivers of mortality in modern medicine. Sepsis kills nearly as many people as heart attack, HIV, and breast cancer combined.
An “upgraded” CBC-diff results can be used as early warning biomarkers even before clinical suspicion would justify the ordering of more costly tests such as procalcitonin.
For these reasons, researchers have recently published numerous studies on new strategies to leverage already available CBC-diff data for early detection of sepsis. These strategies fall in two broad categories: multi-parametric algorithms, and utilization of cellular morphologic data.
Sepsis and the hematology laboratory
Source: MLO
An “upgraded” CBC-diff results can be used as early warning biomarkers even before clinical suspicion would justify the ordering of more costly tests such as procalcitonin.
For these reasons, researchers have recently published numerous studies on new strategies to leverage already available CBC-diff data for early detection of sepsis. These strategies fall in two broad categories: multi-parametric algorithms, and utilization of cellular morphologic data.
Sepsis and the hematology laboratory
Source: MLOPre-analytical Quiz - What's Your Hemolysis Quotient?
Take this 5 step quiz and check your basic knowledge of haemolysis as a sourcd of pre-analytical error in laboratory tests.
Take the quiz here
What's Your Hemolysis Quotient?
Source: qzzr.com
Take the quiz here
What's Your Hemolysis Quotient?
Monday, August 22, 2016
Scientist´s Manicure
Lauren Kieschnick has created a beautiful piece of art. Blood smear nails.
She´s absolutely redy for differential count.
Original image
Diff nails
Source: Pinterest via Lauren Kieschnick
She´s absolutely redy for differential count.
Original image
Diff nails
Source: Pinterest via Lauren Kieschnick
A variant of hairy cell leukemia
Case: A 63-year-old woman being followed for splenomegaly presented with lymphocytosis (hemoglobin, 14 g/dL; neutrophils, 2.5 × 109/L; lymphocytes, 8.5 × 109/L; monocytes, 0.7 × 109/L; platelets, 200 × 109/L). A blood smear showed 40% medium-sized lymphocytes with abundant cytoplasm with circumferential projections, similar to those of classic hairy cells. The nucleus had condensed chromatin with a conspicuous nucleolus (panels A-F). Flow cytometry revealed 45% clonal B lymphocytes that expressed CD19/CD20/CD22/CD103/CD11c and a lack of CD5/CD10/CD123/CD25/CD200. The BRAFV600E mutation was negative, confirming the diagnosis of hairy cell leukemia-variant (HCL-v).
Read more:
Lymphocytosis, villi, and nucleoli: a variant of hairy cell leukemia
Source: Blood journal
Image: ASH Image Bank
Read more:
Lymphocytosis, villi, and nucleoli: a variant of hairy cell leukemia
Image: ASH Image Bank
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Petri Dish Earrings
These earrings are a colorful twist to the classic perti dish earrings already offered in the online shop. These tiny colorful dishes pay homage to Hans Christian Gram the creator of the technique of bacteria staining using a violet dye, iodine and an alcohol rinse to differentiate between two different kinds of bacterial cell walls.
These tiny petri dishes are streaked with E. coli.
Read more:
Petri Dish Earrings: Gram Negative and Gram Positive Bacteria
Source: NBDesign
These tiny petri dishes are streaked with E. coli.
Read more:
Petri Dish Earrings: Gram Negative and Gram Positive Bacteria
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Clinical Chemistry´s Free Clinical Case Studies
Clinical Chemisty´s free #MedEd series 'Clinical Case Studies' has reached milestone- one million downloads. Congratulations!
Clinical case reports form a vital part of education and help develop problem-solving skills. They may include unusual biochemical manifestations of a disease, unusual presentation of a disease, situations where laboratory medicine is vital in making a diagnosis, or occasionally help in understanding the pathophysiology of a disease etc.
Open studies here and enjoy:
Clinical Case Studies
Source: AACC, Clinical Chemistry
Clinical case reports form a vital part of education and help develop problem-solving skills. They may include unusual biochemical manifestations of a disease, unusual presentation of a disease, situations where laboratory medicine is vital in making a diagnosis, or occasionally help in understanding the pathophysiology of a disease etc.
Open studies here and enjoy:
Clinical Case Studies
Microbiology is like a Zen Garden that really grows
Amber Sears has a quirky, sarcastic, mind that sees the world at a 56 degrees slant. She like to find creative forms of expression to balance her science geek side with her art geek side.
Find more ways to express your love to microbiology:
Microbiology is like a Zeng Garden that really grows
Source: Cafe press by Amber Sears
Image credits: Cafe press
Find more ways to express your love to microbiology:
Microbiology is like a Zeng Garden that really grows
Image credits: Cafe press
Crochet Human Heart
When Voodoo-Maggie first was asked to crochet a human heart she had no idea how popular it was going to be. The response has been amazing. And in response to all those who have asked me if this would ever be a pattern, She finally got it written out and photoed. You can now make a heart of your very own. Red, black, zombie or any color your heart desires.
Read more and find pattern here:
Anatomical Human Heart Crochet
Source: Etsy by Voodoomaggie
Read more and find pattern here:
Anatomical Human Heart Crochet
A Pale Child
TeamHaem Case 63:
A four year old boy. His mother is worried that he is looking rather pale and has been unusually tired and off his food. He has a sore throat and occasional fever over the last week. He had been given paracetamol with occasional ibuprofen for presumed viral infection which seemed to help. He has just started school and numerous infections had been ‘going around’. When you see the child he is very pale and allows you to examine him fully without much complaint.
Making the diagnosis
In this case the MCV was normal; as were B12/folate/ferritin. There were no abnormalities in the rest of the blood count and there were no extra-haematological features. Diamond Blackfan anaemia is usually diagnosed in the neonatal period less than six months. There was mild splenomegaly on examination. The blood film showed spherocytosis but surprisingly there was no polychromasia which indicates lack of red cell production. Spherocytosis is seen in various haemolytic anaemias including hereditary spherocytosis, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and congenital dyserythropoietic anaemias. In keeping with lack of polychromasia the reticulocyte count was very low.
Finnd the full case and diagnosis here:
Case 63 – summary
Source: TeamHaem
A four year old boy. His mother is worried that he is looking rather pale and has been unusually tired and off his food. He has a sore throat and occasional fever over the last week. He had been given paracetamol with occasional ibuprofen for presumed viral infection which seemed to help. He has just started school and numerous infections had been ‘going around’. When you see the child he is very pale and allows you to examine him fully without much complaint.
Making the diagnosis
In this case the MCV was normal; as were B12/folate/ferritin. There were no abnormalities in the rest of the blood count and there were no extra-haematological features. Diamond Blackfan anaemia is usually diagnosed in the neonatal period less than six months. There was mild splenomegaly on examination. The blood film showed spherocytosis but surprisingly there was no polychromasia which indicates lack of red cell production. Spherocytosis is seen in various haemolytic anaemias including hereditary spherocytosis, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and congenital dyserythropoietic anaemias. In keeping with lack of polychromasia the reticulocyte count was very low.
Finnd the full case and diagnosis here:
Case 63 – summary
Friday, August 19, 2016
What motivates a scientist?
I put down the pipettes and start the timer. The samples are tucked in the heating block and the enzymes (manufactured in some bland warehouse in Germany) have thirty minutes to do their magic. The gloves come off and I mentally browse through tasks to fill this mini-gap. Should I read a paper? Perhaps add a few lines to that manuscript that insists on not writing itself. Thirty minutes is too short to be productive at any of these tasks so I sit in the empty lab, wondering. The timer moonwalking steadily to the inevitable beep.
“Why do I do this?” – I wonder.
Read more:
What motivates a scientist?
Source: researcherblogski
“Why do I do this?” – I wonder.
Read more:
What motivates a scientist?
Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine (EBLM)
How important are laboratory results in clinical decision making? Are they as valuable in acute myocardial infarction as for a patient suffering from a common cold? Where is the evidence – and do we have enough data to support better patient outcome?
Choosing the right laboratory test at the right time has become increasingly important particularly in improving and speeding up the diagnostic process and reducing diagnostic errors and costs.
Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine is the leading theme on Thursday 9th of February, 2017 in International Congress on Quality in Laboratory Medicine, Helsinki, Finland.
Highlights from the scientific program
Applying the Principles of Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine, Christopher Price, Honorary Senior Fellow, University of Oxford, UK
Quality Control in Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine, Jérémie Gras, Clinical Biologist, Clinique Saint-Luc Bouge, Belgium
Innovative European Strategies in Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine: Laboratory Medicine as the Key Player, Olga Golubnitschaja, Editor-in-Chief, The EPMA-Journal, Head of Molecular Diagnostics, University of Bonn, Germany
From Results to Consequences: the Changing Landscape of Test Evaluation, Patrick Bossuyt, Prof. of Clinical Epidemiology, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
International Congress on Quality in Laboratory Medicine
9th - 10th February, 2017
Helsinki, Finland
Scientific program
Registration
Read more:
International Congress on Quality in Laboratory Medicine 2017
Source: Labquality
Choosing the right laboratory test at the right time has become increasingly important particularly in improving and speeding up the diagnostic process and reducing diagnostic errors and costs.
Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine is the leading theme on Thursday 9th of February, 2017 in International Congress on Quality in Laboratory Medicine, Helsinki, Finland.
Highlights from the scientific program
Applying the Principles of Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine, Christopher Price, Honorary Senior Fellow, University of Oxford, UK
Quality Control in Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine, Jérémie Gras, Clinical Biologist, Clinique Saint-Luc Bouge, Belgium
Innovative European Strategies in Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine: Laboratory Medicine as the Key Player, Olga Golubnitschaja, Editor-in-Chief, The EPMA-Journal, Head of Molecular Diagnostics, University of Bonn, Germany
From Results to Consequences: the Changing Landscape of Test Evaluation, Patrick Bossuyt, Prof. of Clinical Epidemiology, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
International Congress on Quality in Laboratory Medicine
9th - 10th February, 2017
Helsinki, Finland
Scientific program
Registration
Read more:
International Congress on Quality in Laboratory Medicine 2017
How Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens are Brought into Hospitals?
According to National Reference Center for Surveillance of Nosocomial Infections estimates, up to 15,000 patients die of hospital-acquired infections in Germany every year. Here, multidrug-resistant bacteria, against which common antibiotics are no longer effective, play a major role.
But where do these pathogens come from? In largest study of its kind in Europe, DZIF scientists from the University of Cologne investigated this question and discovered that almost ten percent of patients admitted into hospitals already bring these dreaded pathogens along with them from home.
"We were surprised that on hospital admission almost every tenth patient is colonized with multidrug-resistant pathogens," explains Dr. Axel Hamprecht from the University of Cologne. He coordinated this study, in which six German university hospitals participated, together with Prof. Harald Seifert, also from the University of Cologne, and colleagues from Charité Berlin. Over 4,000 adults were tested for multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae on admission into hospital by means of stool samples or rectal swabs.
Read more:
Scientists Investigate How Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens are Brought into Hospitals
Source: Scicasts
Image credits: IMMIH, Köln/Hamprecht
But where do these pathogens come from? In largest study of its kind in Europe, DZIF scientists from the University of Cologne investigated this question and discovered that almost ten percent of patients admitted into hospitals already bring these dreaded pathogens along with them from home.
"We were surprised that on hospital admission almost every tenth patient is colonized with multidrug-resistant pathogens," explains Dr. Axel Hamprecht from the University of Cologne. He coordinated this study, in which six German university hospitals participated, together with Prof. Harald Seifert, also from the University of Cologne, and colleagues from Charité Berlin. Over 4,000 adults were tested for multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae on admission into hospital by means of stool samples or rectal swabs.
Read more:
Scientists Investigate How Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens are Brought into Hospitals
Image credits: IMMIH, Köln/Hamprecht
Free Online Atlas of Genetics in Haematology
The Atlas of Genetics and Cytogenetics in Oncology and Haematology is a peer reviewed on-line journal, encyclopaedia and database in free access on the Internet, devoted to genes, cytogenetics, and clinical entities in cancer, and cancer-prone diseases.
The aim is to cover the entire field under study. It presents structured reviews (cards) or traditional review papers ('deep insights'), a portal towards genetics and/or cancer databases and journals, teaching items in Genetics for students in Medicine and in Sciences, and a case report in hematology section.
It is made for and by: clinicians and researchers in cytogenetics, molecular biology, oncology, haematology, and pathology. Contributions are reviewed before acceptance. It deals with cancer research and genomics. It is at the crossroads of research, virtual medical university (university and post-university e-learning), and telemedicine. It contributes to "meta-medicine", this mediation, using new information technology, between the increasing amount of knowledge and the individual, having to use the information. Towards a personalized medicine of cancer.
Open Atlas here:
Atlas of Genetics and Cytogenetics in Oncology and Haematology
Source: atlasgeneticsoncology.org
The aim is to cover the entire field under study. It presents structured reviews (cards) or traditional review papers ('deep insights'), a portal towards genetics and/or cancer databases and journals, teaching items in Genetics for students in Medicine and in Sciences, and a case report in hematology section.
It is made for and by: clinicians and researchers in cytogenetics, molecular biology, oncology, haematology, and pathology. Contributions are reviewed before acceptance. It deals with cancer research and genomics. It is at the crossroads of research, virtual medical university (university and post-university e-learning), and telemedicine. It contributes to "meta-medicine", this mediation, using new information technology, between the increasing amount of knowledge and the individual, having to use the information. Towards a personalized medicine of cancer.
Open Atlas here:
Atlas of Genetics and Cytogenetics in Oncology and Haematology
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Candy Genetics
Awesome presentation of goldbear genetics
Source: Facebook via Science Communication & Visualisation - somersault18:24
Would you like to work in Italy as a biomedical laboratory scientist?
IFBLS' member ANTeL have published a procedure for all Biomedical Laboratory Technologists and Scientist who want to work in Italy as Biomedical Laboratory Technologists being recognized by the Italian Health System.
There are two options and procedures:
Read more from IFBLS web site:
PROCEDURE FOR THE ACCESS TO THE PROFESSION IN ITALY
Source: IFBLS
There are two options and procedures:
- Course A: if you prefer to obtain the Italian bachelor in
Biomedical Laboratory Technologies (Laurea in Tecniche di Labroatorio
Biomedico) which allow to the profession;
- Course B: if you prefer to request to the Health Ministry to recognize your original diploma obtained in your country.
Read more from IFBLS web site:
PROCEDURE FOR THE ACCESS TO THE PROFESSION IN ITALY
What your PSA level can predict when you are 30 years?
A study by Preston and colleagues looked at men who were participants in the Physicians' Health Study and for whom there were 30 years of follow-up. Blood samples from the time of study initiation were obtained and then analyzed for baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.
Men were divided into three age groups: 40-49 years, 50-54 years, and 55-59 years. They compared men who developed lethal prostate cancer with those who were not diagnosed with prostate cancer over the 30-year period.
They found that baseline PSA was very predictive of risk of developing lethal cancer in the future. For example, if men had a greater than 90th percentile PSA at baseline, the odds ratio of developing lethal cancer ranged from 6.9 [55-59 years] to 12.6 [50-54 years] over the 30-year follow-up period.
Read more:
It's Surprising What One PSA Can Predict
Source: Medscape
Men were divided into three age groups: 40-49 years, 50-54 years, and 55-59 years. They compared men who developed lethal prostate cancer with those who were not diagnosed with prostate cancer over the 30-year period.
They found that baseline PSA was very predictive of risk of developing lethal cancer in the future. For example, if men had a greater than 90th percentile PSA at baseline, the odds ratio of developing lethal cancer ranged from 6.9 [55-59 years] to 12.6 [50-54 years] over the 30-year follow-up period.
Read more:
It's Surprising What One PSA Can Predict
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Mosquito-Borne Diseases
Mosquitoes cause more human suffering than any other organism -- over one million people worldwide die from mosquito-borne diseases every year. Not only can mosquitoes carry diseases that afflict humans, they also transmit several diseases and parasites that dogs and horses are very susceptible to. These include dog heartworm, West Nile virus (WNV) and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). In addition, mosquito bites can cause severe skin irritation through an allergic reaction to the mosquito's saliva - this is what causes the red bump and itching. Mosquito vectored diseases include protozoan diseases, i.e., malaria, filarial diseases such as dog heartworm, and viruses such as dengue, encephalitis and yellow fever. CDC Travelers' Health provides information on travel to destinations where human-borne diseases might be a problem.
Mosquito-Borne Diseases
Source: AMCA
Image: NIH
- Malaria
- Chikungunya
- Dog Heartworm
- Dengue
- Yellow Fever
- Eastern Equine Encephalitis
- St. Louis Encephalitis
- LaCrosse Encephalitis
- Western Equine Encephalitis
- West Nile Virus
- Zika Virus
Mosquito-Borne Diseases
Source: AMCAImage: NIH
Bluetooth Pregnancy Test
Developed by Church & Dwight Co. Inc., the makers of First Response pregnancy and ovulation tests, the "First Response Pregnancy PRO Digital Pregnancy Test + App Access" was first unveiled in April 2016 at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nev. This event highlighted the product's ability to detect pregnancy as early as six days before the day of the missed period and with over 99% accuracy from the day of the expected period.
The first step toward successful use of the Pregnancy PRO is to download the First Response app used to connect the test stick to a mobile device. Next, a user should open the application on her phone while also removing the test stick from its packaging.
Before taking the test, a user must click "Start My Pregnancy Pro" in the app and fill in all the required personal information, as well as ensure that the phone in use has its Bluetooth wireless setting turned on. As in the case with most pregnancy tests, a woman should next hold the stick by the thumb grip, having the absorbent tip pointed down and the display screen facing away from the body, and place the absorbent tip into her urine stream for five seconds.
After the test has been taken, the "Step-by Step Assurance" feature will then walk the woman through the remaining process. Additionally, the new "Wait Time Support" option provides a variety of resources to help reduce stress during the three-minute countdown to the results.
Read more:
Bluetooth-Enabled Pregnancy Tests
Source: Advance
The first step toward successful use of the Pregnancy PRO is to download the First Response app used to connect the test stick to a mobile device. Next, a user should open the application on her phone while also removing the test stick from its packaging.
Before taking the test, a user must click "Start My Pregnancy Pro" in the app and fill in all the required personal information, as well as ensure that the phone in use has its Bluetooth wireless setting turned on. As in the case with most pregnancy tests, a woman should next hold the stick by the thumb grip, having the absorbent tip pointed down and the display screen facing away from the body, and place the absorbent tip into her urine stream for five seconds.
After the test has been taken, the "Step-by Step Assurance" feature will then walk the woman through the remaining process. Additionally, the new "Wait Time Support" option provides a variety of resources to help reduce stress during the three-minute countdown to the results.
Read more:
Bluetooth-Enabled Pregnancy Tests
Source: Advance