Medical Laboratory and Biomedical Science

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Diagnosis of Bleeding Disorders

When screening for a blood disorder there are five basic tests:

Complete Blood Count (CBC) -- measures the amount of hemoglobin, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets
Bleeding Time (surrogate PFA-100) -- measures basic platelet adhesion and aggregation
Prothrombin Time (PT) -- measures the clotting ability of extrinsic factors (I, II, V, VII and X)
Partial Thrombin Time (PTT) -- measures the clotting ability of intrinsic factors (VIII, IX, XI and XII)
Fibrinogen or Thrombin Time (TT) -- measures the level of fibrinogen activity and TT measures whether fibrinogen is inhibited

These tests suggest whether coagulation factor deficiency or thrombocytopenia might be the potential cause of clinical bleeding.
Read more:
Diagnosis of Bleeding Disorders

Read more: ADVANCED

Art and Science of Laboratory Medicine

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New Troponin T Test Predictive in Stable CAD

In patients with stable coronary artery disease, higher levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) independently predicted poorer outcomes, researchers found.
After adjustment for other risk predictors, including clinical risk factors, baseline cardiac structure and function, N-terminal portion of the pro-hormone of brain-type natriuretic peptide, and C-reactive protein levels, each doubling in hs-cTnT level was associated with a 37% higher rate of cardiovascular events (HR, 1.37 [95% CI, 1.14 to 1.65], P=0.001).

Read more:
New Troponin T Test Predictive in Stable CAD

Source: MedPage

Art and Science of Laboratory Medicine

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Sunday, April 7, 2013

Alcohol is a solution

According to chemistry...

Art and Science of Laboratory Medicine

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Protection Against Cold Agglutinins?

Knitted warmer for poor little test tubes

Art and Science of Laboratory Medicine

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Conversion Factors of SI Units for Laboratory Medicine

Système International (SI) Conversion Factors for Selected Laboratory Components

Conventional units of measure are preferred in the table, with Système International (SI) units expressed secondarily (in parentheses). To convert values from conventional units to SI units, multiply by the conversion factor.

This table is worth to bookmark
JAMA - table of conversion factors

Source: JAMA

Art and Science of Laboratory Medicine

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Antibiotic found on human skin could lead to new medicine

An international team of scientists has discovered an important natural antibiotic called dermcidin, produced by our skin when we sweat.

It is possible that the newly discovered antibiotic - dermcidin - could be used as the latest tool in the fight against tuberculosis. Dermcidin is an anti-microbial (antibiotic) peptide secreted by human eccrine sweat glands onto the skin as a part of the innate immune system.

Source: Digital journal

Art and Science of Laboratory Medicine

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Parasites in Faeces

Parasitology case from Sankt Peterburg, Russia

Can you identify these particles?

35 years old female from Sankt Peterburg has diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Stool sample was taken and findings are on the image below. The size of the particles are around 12 micrometers.