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PubMedDate not supplied

Studies in intestinal parasitic disease agents in stools of people in a rural area of Nigeria.

A summary of 300 villagers who reported at the Parasitology Laboratory of the School of Medical Laboratory Technology (S.M.L.T) Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria was carried out for the presence of parasites' cysts, eggs, or larva. Of the 300 faecal samples examined using the light microscope after formal-ether centrifugation, 127 (42.3%) harboured one or more parasites. The parasites identified and their prevalent rates were: Entamoeba coli (19.0%) Necator americanus (17.0%); Entamoeba histolytica (4.7%); Schistosoma mansoni (3.0%); Giardia lamblia (2.3%); Trichuris trichuria (1.7%); Trichomonas hominis (1.0%); Ascaris lumbricoides (0.7%); Hymenolepsis nana (0.3%) Endolimax nana o. 3%); stercoralis (0.23%), and Iodamoeba butschlii (0.3%). The overall infection was 22.7% for the males and 19.7% for the females. Incidence was highest in villagers aged between 21 and 40 years.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Clinical laboratory work--concepts and terms.

An appropriate term is sought for the concept embracing the different types of clinical laboratory work. The defining characteristics of the concept are therefore described, i.e. site, goal, objectives, activity, field, and participating professionals. It is proposed that the superordinate concept should be "medicine" while the subordinate concept under discussion is defined on the basis of the characteristics, thereby distinguishing it from coordinate concepts, i.e. from other branches of medicine. The principles used for establishing existing terms in other branches of medicine are presented, together with a discussion of existing terms in the clinical laboratory field. It is suggested that the current term 'laboratory medicine' has several advantages. The workplace may be called a 'department of laboratory medicine' or 'clinical (or medical) laboratory'. It is further suggested that the term 'clinical chemistry' should not generally be replaced by 'clinical biochemistry'.

Chemistry, Clinical↗
PubMed1998

A study of collaboration among medical informatics research laboratories.

The InterMed Collaboratory involves five medical institutions (Stanford University, Columbia University, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and McGill University) whose mandate has been to join in the development of shared infrastructural software, tools, and system components that will facilitate and support the development of diverse, institution-specific applications. Collaboration among geographically distributed organizations with different goals and cultures provides significant challenges. One experimental question, underlying all that InterMed has set out to achieve, is whether modern communication technologies can effectively bridge such cultural and geographical gaps, allowing the development of shared visions and cooperative activities so that the end results are greater than any one group could have accomplished on its own. In this paper we summarize the InterMed philosophy and mission, describe our progress over 3 years of collaborative activities, and present study results regarding the nature of the evolving collaborative processes, the perceptions of the participants regarding those processes, and the role that telephone conference calls have played in furthering project goals. Both informal introspection and more formal evaluative work, in which project participants became subjects of study by our evaluation experts from McGill, helped to shift our activities from relatively unfocused to more focused efforts while allowing us to understand the facilitating roles that communications technologies could play in our activities. Our experience and study results suggest that occasional face-to-face meetings are crucial precursors to the effective use of distance communications technologies; that conference calls play an important role in both task-related activities and executive (project management) activities, especially when clarifications are required; and that collaborative productivity is highly dependent upon the gradual development of a shared commitment to a well-defined task that leverages the varying expertise of both local and distant colleagues in the creation of tools of broad utility across the participating sites.

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed1997

Campylobacter enteritis in children in an urban community.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of Campylobacter species as aetiologic agents of diarrhoea and its antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. DESIGN: This was a laboratory based cross sectional study on the cause of childhood diarrhoea. SETTING: Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Medical School in Harare. SUBJECTS: Children less than five years old with diarrhoea presenting at primary level health centres in Harare. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient's age, culture results, antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. RESULTS: Campylobacter species had the highest isolation rate (9.3%) of all the bacterial and parasitic enteric pathogens which were sought in the stool specimens. Children less than three years old were those most frequently infected with Campylobacter species. Campylobacter jejuni was the commonest Campylobacter species isolated. All the Campylobacter isolates were sensitive to chloramphenicol and norfloxacin. A significant number of the isolates (14.8%) showed multidrug resistance to erythromycin, tetracycline and gentamicin. CONCLUSIONS: Campylobacter species are important causative agents of childhood diarrhoea. The age group affected most in the urban area is older than the age group in rural areas. Campylobacter jejuni is more important in causing diarrhoea than other Campylobacter species. There is a high rate of multi-drug resistance by Campylobacter species.

Age Distribution↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Attrition in a clinical laboratory technician associate degree program.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the reasons for attrition in a clinical laboratory technician-associate degree program, a retrospective study was done on classes entering from 1987 to 1992. Suggestions are made to increase retention. SETTING: The medical laboratory department at the Community College of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: There were 43,987 students enrolled for the 1993 to 1994 academic year; 17,846 full time equivalents at the college. Clinical laboratory technician students averaged 26.2 years and were 26% male and 74% female, which closely paralleled the college. The ethnic make-up of the clinical laboratory technician classes was 54% White, 32% African American, 11% Asian, and 3% Latin American, compared to 48% African American, 36% White, 10% Asian, and 6% Latin American students in the college. PRACTICE INNOVATION: A retrospective study was performed to evaluate attrition rates for the classes entering the clinical laboratory technician program at the Community College of Philadelphia from 1987 to 1992. Reasons for this attrition were tabulated and evaluated. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-nine students entered the program and 75 graduated, producing an attrition rate of 42%. There were 6 categories of reasons given for not completing the program: academic difficulties, dislike of the laboratory science field, family problems, financial problems, substance abuse, and other problems not specified. CONCLUSION: Because 80% of the attrition was due to poor academic performance and a dislike of the field, several changes are being made in the Community College of Philadelphia's retention program. An enhanced orientation will be given to all students, and students will be required to visit a hospital laboratory. Early faculty intervention and peer counseling for students with poor academic performance will be instituted.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Impact of technological developments and organizational strategies on clinical laboratory cost reduction.

Health care reform efforts, largely under the aegis of managed health care initiatives, have prompted clinical laboratories to increase efficiency and reduce both expenditures and test turnaround times. The adoption of newer technologies is viewed as a mechanism of achieving the latter objectives, but direct and indirect costs and outcomes are often difficult to project. Issues explored in this article include the impact on a large university hospital-based clinical microbiology laboratory following the application of various technological approaches to organism recognition and susceptibility testing and the consolidation of certain testing services. Included are applications of an automated blood culture system; radiometric detection, identification, and susceptibility testing of mycobacteria; and the use of molecular probes to identify various microorganisms. Assessment was made through retrospective review of direct costs, estimates of average test report turnaround times, work flow changes, and real or perceived outcomes. Both the application of technology per se and consolidation of an independent virology service into the general microbiology laboratory enabled improvement in test report times and led to direct or indirect cost reduction. Managerial strategies to bring about organization changes throughout all clinical laboratories in response to a major hospital-wide cost reduction program are also presented together with financial outcomes achieved.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗
PubMed1999

Keeping the care in patient care in the laboratory.

Keeping the care in patient care is an important behavior for technologists in the laboratory. This paper has considered the construct of caring and has outlined strategies for communicating caring to the patient who is interacting with the laboratory technologist. Problems with overinvolvement have also been identified. A laboratory technologist needs to balance caring with appropriate feelings of detachment.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The value of the laboratory professional in the continuum of care.

The community laboratory often is relegated to the subterranean levels of the hospital, and it feels, at times, that the laboratory profession has been put in the basement as well. It is incumbent upon those of us who work in the clinical laboratory to ensure that the daily contributions made by the laboratory to the lives of our patients are not overlooked by our colleagues or by the future generation of laboratorians. We can expand our parochial view of the laboratory and begin to understand and to achieve the institutional goals of cost-effective patient care. Using a data-driven approach, we can articulate the real benefits of delivering quality laboratory service near the patient and secure the institution's investment in that core competency. Fostering the growth of community laboratory insourcing compounds these benefits and provides an environment for the creation of job enrichment opportunities.

Benchmarking↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Educating laboratory staff for the future.

The escalating shortage of laboratory workers is compounded by fewer graduates of accredited programs and changes in the work environment. Looking ahead, the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences held a national conference and invited a wide spectrum of stakeholders to address what CLS/MT and CLT/MLT skills will be needed in the years 2005 and 2015. The results of the conference were used to revise accrediting standards. Faculties in accredited programs are working to transform the new standards into new curricular configurations. Laboratory administration must contribute to this transformation by actively supporting the clinical components of education and maintaining strong communication links with academic institutions. Administration needs to lead the way in creating a laboratory workplace that is more interesting and inviting to those making career decisions. It will take the combined efforts of laboratory administration and staff, educators, and professional organizations to restructure the workplace for the future and to redesign curriculum for appropriately educating professionals. This will be an important step toward addressing the staffing crisis in the laboratory.

Accreditation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Progress in clinical laboratories.

Conventional wisdom perceives progress in the clinical laboratory as a wider menu of available tests and technologies. In this review, we analyze a different concept of progress and propose the following actions: better communication with clinicians, quality control, containment of costs, continuing education and interrelation among laboratories, critical evaluation of emerging technologies, review of work safety, and implementation and/or review of regulations. In the future, clinical laboratories will have to offer quality tests, useful information, and low costs.

Clinical Laboratory Information Systems↗
PubMed1975

The safe use of dimethyl sulfoxide in the laboratory.

Dimethyl sulfoxide is being increasingly utilized in medical laboratories and in experimental clinical situations. The drug must be considered dangerous since there has been one reported case of fatal allergic reaction and numerous reports of liver damage following exposure to dimethyl sulfoxide. Caution must be exercised in the handling of the drug as it can aid the entry of other drugs into the human body. Although dimethyl sulfoxide is not highly flammable, normal safety precautions used with any flammable solvent are the minimal requirements for safe use of this drug.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1981

Drug interference with laboratory value interpretation: A review.

In patients receiving medication, laboratory determinations can be adversely affected by drug-induced physiologic side effects and/or direct analytic interference by the drug or its metabolites. Drugs administered to alleviate an illness can induce physiologic abnormalities in one or more of the following systems: hepatic, hemostatic, renal, hematologic, pancreatic, muscular and osteal, with the result that correct diagnosis is obscured or proper monitoring is prevented. Drug interference can also occur directly in analytic laboratory assays, producing falsely elevated or decreased values.

Blood Coagulation Disorders↗
PubMed1984

[Viral hepatitis B markers in physicians and medical personnel in the Rhein-Main region].

HBs antigen, anti HBs and anti HBc were determined radioimmunologically on 314 medical students, 585 doctors, 151 medical laboratory personnel and 307 nursing staff. Hepatitis B markers were present in 5.1% of medical students, 23.4% of doctors, 17.9% of laboratory personnel and 18.6% nursing staff. In the different groups there were up to 1.3% HBs antigen-positive persons. A large majority of persons with signs of previous hepatitis B infection had concentrations of both antibodies (anti-HBs and anti-HBc). Between 0.6 and 5.5% of persons were merely anti-HBc positive. Among doctors the number of positive results increased with age and professional exposure, no age dependence as to seropositive or seronegative being found in the other groups. None of the persons tested had been aware of a preceding hepatitis infection. These results indicate that doctors and medical personnel even today are at risk of an undetected viral hepatitis B.

Adult↗