Focus on Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
June is National Congenital CMV Awareness Month. One in every 150 children is born with congenital CMV, which causes deafness, blindness, cerebral palsy, mental and physical disabilities, seizures, and death, yet only 14% of women have heard of CMV. Newborn babies with the congenital form of CMV may develop a variety of serious conditions including hearing or vision loss, and may have some degree of mental retardation. Visit www.stopcmv.org for more information.

National HIV Testing Day is June 27
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one out of five people living with HIV in the U.S. are unaware of his HIV status. National HIV Testing Day offers everyone an opportunity to learn his HIV status. Help promote HIV testing with downloadable posters, fact sheets, and widgets available at www.hhs.gov/aidsawarenessdays/days/testing.

HOT CLIPS: BLOOD WORKS
Readers often remark that they love to “clip” various items from the print pages of MLO. And because MLO covers a myriad of laboratory-related topics, we share a continuing LABline feature: Hot Clips. Click on the highlighted words to discover various MLO archival properties concerning blood in the medical laboratory.

Got blood? Here in Florida, it is hurricane season and ’tis the season to be a blood donor; our related editorial is as relevant today as it was in 2004 when Hurricane Charley visited us. We also include “The art of professional blood collecting,” a tale that likely brings back memories for anyone who has performed phlebotomy. And “Babies, blood tests, and Buddha” is the interesting story of the fulfillment of a lifelong dream: volunteering overseas at a children’s hospital.

Additionally, this month’s Blood Works selections contain articles by some of MLO’s most revered contributors:

• “Investigating elevated potassium values” by Dan Baer, our longtime TIPS editor, and Ray Gambino who came up with the idea of MLO! They were joined by Susan Willeford and Dennis Ernst in this effort.
• Dennis Ernst is MLO’s “Mr. Phlebotomy,” and his article “Take the guesswork out of venipunctures” exhibits not only his attention to detail but also his good sense of humor.
• Chris Higgins’ articles on blood-gas analysis have graced MLO’s pages from time to time, and his expertise on the subject is unquestioned. This sample is “The use of heparin in preparing samples for blood-gas analysis.

• Dr. Brad Karon’s “Tips from the clinical experts” — this sample on cell counts and differentials of CSF and what the CBC includes.
• Anne Pontius’ “Management Q&A” — this Q&A feature is answered by experts in lab-safety issues, including one of our favorites, Terry Jo Gile, The Safety Lady.
• Dr. Barbara Harty-Golder’s “Liability & the lab” brings her expertise and experience as both a pathologist and an attorney to bear on how many times a phlebotomist should try to draw blood.

Dengue fever discovered in Florida‎
The CDC says evidence of the dengue virus has been found in 28 people who live in or have visited Key West, FL. The first case that came to the CDC's attention was that of a 34-year-old woman who sought medical care after a one-week Key West visit in August 2009 for headache, fever, and other symptoms three times before she was tested for dengue and found to have antibodies to dengue virus serotype 1 (DENV-1). A 48-year-old Key West man saw his doctor for similar symptoms, including a truncal maculopapular rash. He asked to be tested for dengue, and a private lab identified dengue antibodies in the man's serum sample, as did another test conducted by the CDC. Meanwhile, a nurse at the county health department learned that the man's wife had similar symptoms, and the CDC confirmed her dengue diagnosis as well. In the wake of the three cases last fall, the CDC and Florida Department of Health conducted a seroprevalence study of 240 residents to determine the extent of dengue infection in the Key West area. They found that 13 (5.4%) had evidence of recent dengue infection. Since 1980, dengue infections have been sporadically detected near the U.S.-Mexico border, but the CDC said these are the first cases to be diagnosed outside that area since 1945 and Florida's first since 1934.

Blood test on newborns could prevent disability
Scientists say a blood test can assess the possibility of brain damage in “at risk” newborn babies. A blood test carried out on blood taken from the umbilical cord immediately after birth to measure its acidity (the pH level) could prevent brain damage and other disabilities. A low pH indicates a lack of oxygen at birth, which is a common cause of brain damage, cerebral palsy, and death. A group of doctors based in Birmingham, England, reviewed 51 studies involving almost 500,000 babies and found that a low pH in umbilical cord blood is strongly linked with serious outcomes. Based on the findings, published in the British Medical Journal, the researchers say there is a need for increased surveillance of babies born with low umbilical cord blood pH. They further suggest that research be funded to explore the cost effectiveness of performing the test on all babies.

Routine screening for pediatric chronic kidney disease not cost effective
The routine use of a screening urine dipstick to diagnose chronic kidney disease in healthy children is not a cost-effective test, confirm Penn State College of Medicine researchers, who validated an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation. ScienceDaily reports that screening urine dipsticks have routinely been performed on healthy children in primary-care offices for decades, but the AAP made the recommendation to discontinue screening urine dipsticks in healthy children to test for chronic kidney disease in 2007; however, the practice is still in use. The study, published in the April issue of Pediatrics, also reports that the cost of a dipstick test came to $3.47 per patient. With a rate of one case of diagnosed chronic kidney disease per 800 screenings, the cost was $2,997.50 per case diagnosed.

Babies to be checked for jaundice
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in England wants blood tests for all newborns with suspected jaundice, a common and usually harmless condition but which can be fatal in rare cases. Jaundice is prevalent among newborns — around 80% of premature babies and 60% of full-term babies develop it within the first week of life. The condition kernicterus caused by high levels of bilirubin can cause long-term problems such as cerebral palsy and hearing loss and, in a handful of cases, can be fatal. It is rare but thought to be on the increase, affecting up to 12 babies a year in the U.K. Healthcare workers tend to rely on the appearance of the baby alone to diagnose the severity of a case of jaundice, but NICE notes that this can be problematic, particularly when it comes to babies with darker skin tones. The watchdog group says all babies should be checked for jaundice regularly in the first 72 hours and, when the condition is suspected, tests to ascertain bilirubin level should be carried out every six hours.

Sprout-linked Salmonella outbreak sickens dozens
As of June 2, the number of individuals sickened in an 11-state Salmonella Newport outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts has risen to 35, and officials are continuing their probe at a California processor identified earlier in the traceback investigation, the CDC reported on June 3. Of 30 patients for whom the CDC has information, seven were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Keep up to date at www.cdc.gov/salmonella/newport/index.html.

Paper “dipstick” instantly identifies blood type
A team of Australian scientists has developed a "dipstick" test for instantly determining a person's blood type — at a cost of just a few pennies, reports ScienceDaily. A study on the test, which involves placing a drop of blood on a specially treated paper strip, is published in the April 23 issue of Analytical Chemistry, where the authors say it could be a boon to healthcare in developing countries. The test also could be useful in veterinary medicine, for typing animals' blood in the field. The test, which utilizes paper full of antibodies to the antigens on red blood cells, has demonstrated the same accuracy as current lab-based typing. Read more at http://pubs.acs.org/stoken/presspac/presspac/full/10.1021/ac100341n.

Q fever bacterium common in U.S.
An environmental study determined that Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever — a bacterial infection that can affect the lungs, liver, heart, and other parts of the body — is fairly common in the United States, suggesting that exposure to the bacterium may be more common than what is suggested by the number of reported cases. Researchers collected more than 1,600 environmental samples from six states and found C burnetii DNA in 6% to 44% of them. Overall, 24% of the samples tested positive. The organism is highly infectious, can survive in a variety of conditions, is present in domestic and wild animal populations, and has been weaponized. On May 12, the CDC issued a health alert on Q fever for those who have recently traveled to the Netherlands or Iraq. Read the study in Applied and Environmental Microbiology at http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/AEM.00042-10v1. Read the CDC health alert at www2a.cdc.gov/HAN/ArchiveSys/ViewMsgV.asp?AlertNum=00313.

Testosterone deficiency found in childhood-cancer survivors
Almost a quarter of men treated for cancer in their childhood suffer from a deficiency of the male sex hormone testosterone, reports ScienceDaily. Testosterone deficiency not only affects sex drive, in the long term it can lead to depression, reduced muscle strength, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular diseases. The study of 150 men who had been treated for leukemia and other forms of cancer before reaching adulthood found that 33 men had testosterone deficiency, but that it had only been diagnosed in four cases, perhaps because this is a new group. Just decades ago, very few childhood-cancer patients survived. Now almost four in five recover as a result of better diagnosis and treatment methods. But it is only now that the large groups of childhood-cancer survivors have reached an age where the consequences of the treatment are starting to be seen, says the study’s author in the Dec. 16, 2009, issue of Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

HELPFUL PRODUCT INFORMATION

Analyzers | Quality Assessment/Assurance/Control  | Middleware | Slide Makers/Stainers

Free educational webinar: Overcoming Laboratory Challenges in Heparin Monitoring
Heparin, its biochemistry, its clinical uses, and approaches to monitoring will be discussed. Available solutions and potential impact to address the challenges in laboratory testing will be presented on June 17, and attendees are eligible for 1.0 CEU. This webinar is part of Beckman Coulter's virtual symposia series which is focused on bringing education to laboratorians at no cost. More information is available at www.beckmancoulter.com/June17.

Lab safety training
The Laboratory Safety Institute’s (LSI) courses are presented onsite, on location, and as webinars. The three-day/24-hour short course is a “Lab Safety Boot Camp” that covers: 3 Cs of safety, scope of the problem, accidents, legal aspects of safety, OSHA lab standards, biological and animal hazards, eye and face protection, storage of chemicals, labeling, ventilation, compressed gases, recordkeeping, radiation, blood-pathogens standard, fire control, handling chemical reagents, disposal of chemicals, needs assessment, electrical safety, lab inspections, and review of inspection results, employee/student involvement, and safety-program planning. Register at www.labsafetyinstitute.org by clicking on the “Register for a course” link. Mention the code BMN510 to save 5%. A complete list of the courses can be viewed by selecting the tab “LSI’s Training Courses” at LSI’s website.

Protect your assets
June 24, 1 p.m. EDT. “How to Protect Your Laboratory’s Most Important Business Assets from Internal and External Threats.” The focus of this audioconference on trade secrets, non-compete agreements, and employee handbooks can help mitigate threats to the laboratory’s business assets. Learn about the changes to federal law, important court decisions that establish new precedents, and why state law matters. Learn more at www.darkdaily.com/how-to-protect-your-laboratorys-most-important-business-assets-from-internal-and-external-threats.

Google Flu Trends’ estimates inaccurate
The popular symptom-tracking Google Flu Trends application is not as accurate at estimating rates of lab-confirmed influenza as national surveillance programs, according to a study presented at the American Thoracic Society in New Orleans in May. When comparing Google Flu Trends data with CDC data from 2003 to 2008, researchers found that Google was 25% less accurate at estimating rates of laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infection. Google Flu Trends uses the popularity of Internet search queries to estimate nationwide rates of influenza-like illness activity, a non-specific combination of symptoms that includes fever with either a cough or a sore throat. Studies have shown that influenza-like illnesses are actually caused by the influenza virus in only 20% to 70% of cases during the influenza season. Read more at www.thoracic.org.

Spectra Laboratories earns A2LA’s ISO 15189
The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) announced that its first U.S.-based medical-testing laboratory has earned accreditation in accordance with stringent international requirements of ISO 15189: 2007 Medical Laboratories - Particular requirements for quality and competence. The accredited laboratory, Spectra Laboratories of Rockleigh, NJ, demonstrated technical competence for a defined scope of rigorous tests and operation of a quality-management system. Spectra Laboratories is a unit of Fresenius Medical Care North America. A2LA’s ISO 15189:2007 accreditation is recognized by all 65 of the signatories to the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation mutual-recognition agreement and 32 signatories to the Asia-Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation mutual-recognition agreement. Established in 1982, Spectra Laboratories is a provider of renal-specific laboratory-testing services in the United States. The company’s state-of-the-art analytical equipment, automated specimen processing, and reporting applications provide more than 57 million rapid and reliable test results annually, reaching over 168,000 renal patients and 2,300 free-standing and hospital-based dialysis facilities across the country. Spectra also supplies laboratory services to the clinical research and correctional healthcare communities through its Spectra Clinical Research and Spectra Diagnostics divisions.

McKesson employees volunteer to raise awareness of type 2 diabetes
During this year’s corporate-citizenship event, McKesson employees supported the American Diabetes Association in its Stop Diabetes movement by raising awareness among school children of the seriousness of type 2 diabetes. As part of the company's 12th annual McKesson Community Days corporate-citizenship program, volunteers at more than 130 McKesson sites across the country created more than 32,000 care packages — which include jump ropes, pedometers, water bottles, Frisbees, and comic books designed by the American Diabetes Association — for fourth- and fifth-grade students. Visit http://stopdiabetes.diabetes.org.

COLA CEO receives ASQ award
The American Society for Quality (ASQ) presented Douglas Beigel, CEO of COLA, with its Edwards Medal during its annual World Conference on Quality and Improvement in St. Louis, MO, in May. The ASQ Edwards Medal is presented to the individual who has “demonstrated the most outstanding leadership in the application of modern quality-control methods, especially through the organization and administration of such work.” In receiving the award, Beigel was cited for “improving the internal efficiencies within COLA from complicated, paper-laden processes to streamlined and efficient methods; for developing new products and services that meet the needs of the physician community, medical professionals, and consumers; for offering alternative methods of education and training for the healthcare community; and for his breakthrough management techniques within COLA that will dramatically change COLA and increase its impact in improving the health of people in the world.” Learn more about COLA at www.cola.org. For more information about the ASQ awards, visit www.asq.org/about-asq/awards.

SBS and ALA merge into SLAS
Members of the Society for Biomolecular Sciences (SBS) and the Association for Laboratory Automation (ALA) have approved a merger and will now unite as individual sections of the new Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS). SBS and ALA will continue to pursue their current missions while collectively addressing the SLAS mission, which is to provide forums for education and information exchange to encourage the study of and improve the science and practice of laboratory automation and screening. Both scientific journals — Journal for Biomolecular Screening and Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation — will continue their publishing schedules. For more information regarding the merger, SLAS, SBS, or ALA, visit http://sbs-alamerger.org/index.cfm.

TO VIEW AN UPDATED LIST OF UPCOMING CONFERENCES, MEETINGS, EVENTS, AND WEBINARS, CLICK HERE.

The 2010 MLO Media Handbook is now online at www.mlo-online.com.

“Fortunately, problems are an everyday part of our life.
Consider this: If there were no problems,
most of us would be unemployed.
Ironing out the wrinkles and solving the problems
is what most jobs are about.”
—Zig Ziglar,
author and speaker

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