Strip Test Turkey

There is a huge amount of creativity hiding in the medical laboratories...

Source: Facebook via Lab Humor
Image credits: Mike T

Monday in the pathology lab

Stop staring me!

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Image credits: Keeshia Ybarzabal Ababao

Relax Scientists!

Prepare yourself, holiday season is coming...

How many RBC transfusions have been ordered based on an erroneous fingerstick hemoglobin result?

Clinical Laboratory professionals know that point of care test results performed on a fingerstick sample of blood are often less accurate and precise than results performed on a central laboratory analyzer using a venous sample. Improvements in point of care technology have greatly improved the analytical performance of point of care devices. A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology convincingly demonstrated that much of the variability in point of care testing occurs during the preanalytical phase of collecting a fingerstick sample of blood.

Compared to tests on venous blood, the coefficient of variation for successive drops of fingerstick blood exceeded venous blood by 3.4 times for hemoglobin, 5.7 times for WBC count, 3.0 times for lymphocyte count, 7.7 times for granulocyte count, and 4.0 times for platelet count. In some individuals, hemoglobin concentration differed by more than two g/dL between two successive drops of blood.

Read more:
Questionable Accuracy of Point of Care Tests Performed on Fingerstick Blood Samples 

Source: ClinLab Navigator

New Technologies in QC

Quality control plays a key role in helping laboratories ensure the quality of patient results and minimize patient risk. While many think of QC as being a static area within the field of clinical laboratory sciences, it is, in fact, dynamic with advances in QC strategy continually evolving. New technologies in QC are presented at local and national conferences around the globe, but only a fraction in the lab community is fortunate enough to attend these meetings.

A good estimate for target mean for a new lot can be achieved by designing a crossover study with 10 results and back calculating the standard deviation (SD) from a previous lot. The targets should be re-evaluated after accumulating more than 60 data points at each level. For a new lot with no historical data, establishing initial SD requires more than 60 data points. It is also suggested that there should be a quarterly review.

New Z-squared QC rules (Z2) and repeat Z-squared are also shown to be more powerful than traditional ­multi-rules.

Read more:
New Technologies in QC

Source: advance

Peripheral hemophagocytosis case

A 46-year-old man with stable HIV and hepatitis C virus chronic infection was seen for unexplained fever, headache, and vomiting after a trip to Cameroon. There were no significant physical findings. Complete blood count showed marked thrombocytopenia (28 × 109/L) and normal white blood cell count and hemoglobin.

Read more:
Peripheral hemophagocytosis

Source: Blood journal
Image credits: ASM image bank

Five steps to successful laboratory instrument calibration

Effective instrument calibration should be viewed as the foundation of all laboratory patient testing. It’s the first step to producing reliable patient results and assuring instrument performance. This is the reason laboratories should be paying closer attention.

1. Follow the instrument or reagent manufacturer’s instructions for calibration.
2. Assess the required frequency of calibration when validating assays.
3. Re-calibrate every time a reagent batch is changed
4. Re-calibrate when your QC results are showing a systematic bias
5. Re-calibrate after major instrument maintenance

How to choose an appropriate calibrator?

Read more:
Instrument calibration: vital first step for accurate results?

Source: Lab Test Blob