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K J Whitlow

Publications and source records attributed to K J Whitlow.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1987

Managing bedside glucose testing in the hospital.

The scope and magnitude of bedside testing by personnel without formal laboratory training have recently increased. There has been some question about the reliability of bedside test results produced by nurses, physicians, and other ward staff that are used in clinical decisions. Glucose testing is currently the most widely performed bedside test. Because of the likelihood that the use of bedside testing will increase in the future, this article discusses various issues concerning bedside glucose analysis, including the scope of such testing, staff responsibilities, training and supervision, testing frequency, work flow and result reporting, and the reliability of bedside glucose results, in three institutions. We also suggest an approach to bedside testing quality management.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed1984

Is it necessary to transport arterial blood samples on ice for pH and gas analysis?

We evaluated whether arterial blood samples for pH and blood gas analysis need to be transported on ice. We found that although the changes in pH, pCO2 and pO2 were greater in samples kept at room temperature versus those kept on ice, the difference was probably not of clinical significance until the period of time after arterial puncture exceeded 20 minutes. We recommend that arterial blood samples do not need to be kept on ice if the analysis for pH and gases is performed within 20 minutes of blood being drawn.

Blood Gas Analysis↗
PubMed1984

Clinical utility of lactic acid measurement in body fluids other than plasma.

The diagnosis of septic infections of closed body cavities requires a careful search. Traditional laboratory tests such as Gram's stain, white cell count, and protein and glucose levels are often inconclusive. Measurement of lactic acid in cerebrospinal, synovial, pleural, ascitic, and bursal fluids has been utilized to distinguish bacterial from nonbacterial infections. The present review summarizes the current status of lactic acid measurement in the differential diagnosis of meningitis, arthritis, empyema, bacterial peritonitis, and bursitis.

Ascitic Fluid↗
PubMed1984

Artefactual decrease in total protein concentration in patients with monoclonal gammopathies: a method-dependent error.

We found total protein estimates in patients with monoclonal gammopathies to be erroneously low when using the Cobas-Bio centrifugal analyzer. This problem occurred only when a serum-water blank was used. This probably results from the precipitation of these proteins under conditions of low ionic strength resulting in high blank readings. The problem can be avoided if a serum-saline blank is used.

Blood Chemical Analysis↗
PubMed1983

Assessment of technologist workload as a factor in quality of laboratory performance.

A very significant effort in terms of dollars and man hours (up to 40% of workload) is spent on providing effective quality control in the chemistry laboratory. An important factor in quality of performance which is intuitively obvious but not readily quantitated is technologist workload. We have been able to significantly correlate (P less than 0.01) over a period of 4 years, performance in an external proficiency survey with technologist workload. Not surprisingly, the data suggests that the quality of test results diminishes as workload increases. The management strategy should then be directed towards decreasing workload possibly through appropriate automation.

Automation↗
PubMed1979

Maltotetraose as a substrate for enzyme-coupled assay of amylase activity in serum and urine.

The use of maltotetraose ss a new substrate for the enzyme-coupled determination of amylase activity in biological fluids was developed by Beckman Microbics. We evaluated a manual and a centrifugal analyzer version of the method in comparison with two commonly used manual starch-dye amylase techniques: Roche Amylochrome and Pharmacia Phadebas. Both maltotetraose amylase procedures proved to be rapid and precise, and results correlated satisfactorily with the starch-dye methods for serum and urine samples.

Amylases↗
PubMed1975

Regulation of acetohydroxy acid synthase in streptomycin-dependent Escherichia coli.

Growth of streptomycin-dependent mutants of Escherichia coli K-12 was insensitive to valine when dihydrostreptomycin was present in a nonlimiting concentration in glucose-salts medium. Acetohydroxy acid synthase was derepressed under these conditions, owing to relaxation of catabolite repression. Valine sensitivity and catabolite repression were restored when streptomycin-dependent E. coli K-12 mutants were grown with limiting dihydrostreptomycin. End product repression of acetohydroxy acid synthase under conditions of relaxed catabolite repression was effected by any two (or more) end products except the combination valine plus isoleucine, which caused derepression. Single end products had no detectable effect on acetohydroxy acid synthase formation.

Aconitate Hydratase↗