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Article
January 2006
Quality control in theory and practice – a gap analysis
Millions of times every day, in a myriad of distinctive
laboratories around this globe, front-line workers make the final
decision on the quality of results they report.
If they decide the
quality is “OK”, patient results are released to impact clinical
decisions, and proficiency values reflect the overall ability...
Quality assurance
Article
January 2006
Neonatology - Get in control of fetal scalp blood sampling
Interview
Fetal scalp Blood Sampling (FBS) – not exactly wishful thinking for the mother, nor for the obstetrician? The procedure is regarded as cumbersome, the sample quality is questionable and the consequences of the result may be instrumental vaginal delivery or Cesarian Section (CS).
acutecaretesting.org has...
Preanalytical phase
Blood gases/acid-base
Neonatology
Lactate
Article
January 2006
Neonate capillary blood gas reference values
Reprinted with permission from Elsevier from "Neonate capillary blood gas reference values", by Jocelyne Cousineau, Suzanne Anctil, Ana Carceller, Monique Gonthier and Edgard E. Delvin, CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY, Vol no 38, 2005, pp 905-907. Copyright 2005 by Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists.
OBJECTIVES
Because...
Neonatology
Blood gases/acid-base
Glucose
Hemoglobins
Lactate
Kidneys/fluids
Article
October 2005
Causes and clinical significance of increased carboxyhemoglobin
Hemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying protein contained in
red blood cells (erythrocytes). Although normally present in only
trace amounts, there are three species of hemoglobin that cannot
transport oxygen.
The three species, collectively called
dyshemoglobins because of their functional redundancy, are
methemoglobin,...
Blood gases/acid-base
Hemoglobins
Article
October 2005
Preanalytical issues related to blood sample mixing
Lack of homogeneity of a blood sample can lead to incorrect results. In this paper, the quality requirements of a sample prior to mixing, the type of samples, sample collection devices and tools and mechanics of mixing will be highlighted.
Issues related to the mixing of samples intended for hematological and blood...
Preanalytical phase
Hemoglobins
Article
October 2005
Patient safety: tested tools for error reduction
Laboratorians need to take ownership of errors,
identifying, analyzing and reducing them, thereby increasing
patient safety.
A Client Services Department, customer care
representatives, a service improvement coordinator, “morning
report”, electronic error tracking and reporting mechanisms,
point-of-care support...
Point-of-care testing
Information management
Process optimization
Glucose
D-dimer
Article
October 2005
Reducing phlebotomy blood loss in the NICU
Iatrogenic phlebotomy loss resulting
from the intensive clinical monitoring in the weeks
immediately following birth remains the primary
cause of neonatal anemia and the need for
red-blood-cell (RBC) transfusion.
Reducing RBC
transfusion needs in the neonatal intensive care
unit (NICU) requires new approaches for...
Neonatology
Preanalytical phase
Glucose
Lactate
Hemoglobins
Article
July 2005
Hemoglobin and its measurement
Methods for the measurement of hemoglobin (Hb) were first
developed well over a century ago, so that hemoglobin was among the
first diagnostic blood tests available to clinicians during the
first decades of the 20th century when laboratory medicine was in
its infancy.
Today it is the most frequently requested blood...
Preanalytical phase
Article
July 2005
Capillary blood gas and the big picture
Blood gases are measured from an arterial blood sample to evaluate the respiratory adequacy and oxygen status of the critically ill patient. For the adult patient, the arterial blood is sampled either by arterial puncture or from an indwelling catheter.
In neonates and children, the wish to minimize iatrogenic blood...
Neonatology
Blood gases/acid-base
Preanalytical phase
Glucose
Lactate
Article
July 2005
Neonatal capillary blood sampling
Capillary blood sampling via a heel lance is the most common procedure performed in hospitalized neonates. Adequate training and supervision of the personnel performing the procedure is necessary to prevent/minimize inadequate sampling volumes, false laboratory results and complications such as pain. Efforts should be ...
Preanalytical phase
Neonatology
Glucose
Lactate