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Venous drainage of the stomach in the laboratory mouse (Mus musculus v. alba) and the laboratory rat (Rattus norvegicus v. alba).

The authors studied the venous drainage pattern of the stomach in 30 adult laboratory mice (Mus musculus v. alba) and in 31 adult laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus v. alba) of both sexes. In mice, two basic patterns of the venous drainage of the stomach have been found, the first one (50.0% of cases) with a vena gastroepiploica dextra, while in the second pattern (50.0% of cases) the vena gastroepiploica dextra is absent and the venous blood from the curvatura major ventriculi and fundus ventriculi is drained only via the v. lienalis. In rats, three basic patterns of venous drainage of the stomach were found, the first group (35.2%) with the v. gastroepiploica dextra, the second group (38.4%) with prevalence of the v. gastrica sinistra and the third group with various tributaries of the v. lienalis from the stomach (25.6%). The vena gastrica sinistra is the only constant venous channel in both animals examined. Between interorganic venous anastomoses in the mouse and the rat no great differences exist. In spite of the great variability of veins the results indicate that it is possible to differentiate some basic patterns of the venous drainage of the stomach in the animals studied.

Animals↗

Results of the second inventory on quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) and good laboratory practice (GLP) for European Union National Reference Laboratories for residue analyses.

In February 1996 the "Second inventory on QA/QC and GLP for EU-NRLs" was submitted to all European Union National Reference Laboratories (EU-NRLs) for residue analyses. This second inventory was a follow up on the "Inventory on QA/QC" (1993) which was used for the organisation of the first workshop on "GLP for EC-NRLs". In February 1997 a response on the second inventory of 100% was achieved. From the completed inventories it became evident that almost all EU-NRLs for residue analyses now have a described quality program based on an international standard. However only 33% of the EU-NRLs are officially accredited, certified or in compliance with good laboratory practice (GLP) principles. Most of the accredited EU-NRLs have a quality program based on the European Standard EN45001. Seven of the EU-NRLs still do not have a described quality program or have not appointed a quality officer and for 12 of the EU-NRLs the independence of the QA officer is not formally arranged. Only about 50% of the EU-NRLs have a standard operating protocol (SOP) to handle complaints. Almost all of the EU-NRLs have SOPs available and a system to control them. In comparison with the results of the first inventory it is evident that most of the EU-NRLs have made considerable progress in the implementation of quality systems. However it is also evident that a substantial number of EU-NRLs still lack some critical QA facilities. The new deadline for the full implementation of all relevant QA facilities is January 2002.

Animals↗

Distributed laboratory computing. Integration of a laboratory computer into a hospital information system.

The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, a large teaching hospital and tertiary care referral center, has implemented a vendor-supplied laboratory computer package operating on a dedicated minicomputer. A high-speed communications link allows the laboratory computer to share patient administrative, census, and test result data with the central hospital information system on an interactive basis. Operational characteristics of the system are discussed, and special attention is given to the critical problems and advantages of interfacing two computers.

Computers↗

Role of the reference laboratory in susceptibility testing of anaerobes and a survey of isolates referred from laboratories in England and Wales during 1993-1994.

Methods for susceptibility testing of anaerobes and their patterns of susceptibility remain debatable. The responsibilities of the Public Health Laboratory Service Anaerobe Reference Unit include identification of referred isolates; development of methods; monitoring of the occurrence of anaerobic infections; performance of taxonomic studies; maintenance of a reference collection; and monitoring of the antibiotic susceptibility of clinical isolates. Selection of antibiotics for anaerobic infections is often based upon the findings of batch tests on referred isolates in specialized centers. If the information gathered is to be a reliable guide, there should be a structured rolling survey of clinical isolates from a wide range of hospital laboratories. Strains of Bacteroides, Prevotella, Clostridium, and Propionibacterium species and peptostreptococci referred to the Anaerobe Reference Unit during 1993-1994 were tested with the Etest to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations of metronidazole, penicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, cefoxitin, imipenem, erythromycin, clindamycin, and tetracycline. Metronidazole susceptibility (generally) and penicillin resistance among Bacteroides species were consistent findings, and most isolates were susceptible to imipenem, but other results varied between and within species.

Bacteria, Anaerobic↗

Particle size distribution of Serratia marcescens aerosols created during common laboratory procedures and simulated laboratory accidents.

Andersen air samplers were used to determine the particle size distribution of Serratia marcescens aerosols created during several common laboratory procedures and simulated laboratory accidents. Over 1,600 viable particles per cubic foot of air sampled were aerosolized during blending operations. More than 98% of these particles were less than 5 mu in size. In contrast, 80% of the viable particles aerosolized by handling lyophilized cultures were larger than 5 mu. Harvesting infected eggs, sonic treatment, centrifugation, mixing cultures, and dropping infectious material produced aerosols composed primarily of particles in the 1.0- to 7.5-mu size range.

Accidents↗

Contamination of the clinical microbiology laboratory with vancomycin-resistant enterococci and multidrug- resistant Enterobacteriaceae: implications for hospital and laboratory workers.

We surveyed environmental surfaces in our clinical microbiology laboratory to determine the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (MDRE) during a routine working day. From a total of 193 surfaces, VRE were present on 20 (10%) and MDRE were present on 4 (2%) of the surfaces tested. In a subsequent survey after routine cleaning, all of the 24 prior positive surfaces were found to be negative. Thus, those in the laboratory should recognize that many surfaces may be contaminated by resistant organisms during routine processing of patient specimens.

Colony Count, Microbial↗

Comparing biology majors from large lecture classes with TA-facilitated laboratories to those from small lecture classes with faculty-facilitated laboratories.

The teaching faculty for this course sought to address their own concerns about the quality of student learning in an impersonal large lecture biology class for majors, the difficulties in getting to know each student by name, and difficulties in soliciting answers and reactions from the students during the lecture. Questions addressed by this study were, Do active-learning activities in a small and personal lecture setting enhance student learning more than active-learning activities in large impersonal lectures? and Are students more satisfied with an educational experience in a small and personal lecture setting? Based on faculty perceptions of how they best relate to their students, the prediction was that the students in the experimental group with small lecture classes and increased direct contact with the teaching faculty would learn physiological principles better than the students in the control group in the large impersonal lecture portion of the course. One of the laboratory sections of this large enrollment biology course was randomly selected to be taught with separate small lectures by the teaching faculty. In addition, the teaching faculty participated in the laboratory with these students during their experiments correlated with the lecture material. The students in both groups were compared by pre- and posttests of physiological principles, final course grades, and class satisfaction surveys.

Biology↗

Laboratory medicine: the need for a broader view the "multiple bundle" model of clinical laboratory function.

The essence of the nineties in health care, in business, in organizational management and in education, has been change. As always in a changing environment, there will be winners and losers. In the September issue of CCLM, Williamson wrote: "Poor clinical chemistry. It is a field trapped between pressures from increasing electronic automation of assays, simplified technology and reductionism of molecular genetics and the growing pressure of economic accountability and cost cutting. It may not survive" (1). Should we all be on Prozac and wait for the doomsday? Our problems are not unique. Some time ago, traditional cardiology was "trapped" between the advent of new invasive techniques on the one hand and a pressure to increase emphasis on prevention on the other. How did it end? Most of today's cardiologists are invasive cardiologists and many became leaders in cardiovascular prevention in addition to their "traditional" tasks (2). This is a classical example of a paradigm shift. The present article suggests that at least some of our problems may stem from too narrow a view of laboratory medicine that we present to decision makers who allocate funds to laboratory services.

Algorithms↗

[Laboratory-acquired human infection with SP H 114202 virus (Arenavirus: Arenaviridae family): clinical and laboratory aspects].

Here in is described the clinical and laboratorial findings of a laboratory-acquired infection caused by the virus SP H 114202 (Arenavirus, family Arenaviridae) a recently discovered agent responsible for a viral hemorrhagic fever. The patient was sick for 13 days. The disease had an abrupt onset characterized by high fever (39 degree C.), headache, chills and myalgias for 8 days. In addition, on the 3rd day, the patient developed nausea and vomiting, and in the 10th, epigastralgia, diarrhea and gengivorrhagia. Leucopenia was seen within the 1st week of onset, with counts as low as 2,500 white cells per mm3. Counts performed after the 23rd day of the onset were within normal limits. With the exception of moderate lymphocytosis, no changes were observed in differential counts. An increase in the titer of antibodies by complement fixation, neutralization and ELISA (IgM) was detected. Suckling mice and baby hamsters were inoculated intracerebrally with 0.02 ml of blood samples collected in the 2nd and 7th days of disease. Attempts to isolate the virus were also made in Vero cells. No virus was isolated. This virus was isolated before in a single occasion in São Paulo State, in 1990, from the blood of a patient with hemorrhagic fever with a fatal outcome. The manipulation of the virus under study, must be done carefully, since the transmission can occur through aerosols.

Adult↗

The clinical laboratory of the future: re-engineering laboratory services.

Re-engineering of the process to deliver laboratory services to patients is essential to meet the pressures for patient-focussed care and cost control. Re-engineering requires that laboratory staff abandon their current thinking and assumptions about organization, roles, procedures, skills and tools to focus on a totally new way of delivering value to the patient. The rewards are high for the organization. The risks must be managed by following a proven approach. The opportunities for personal development are exciting.

Consumer Behavior↗

Medicare, Medicaid, and CLIA programs; Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 continuance of exemption of laboratories licensed by the State of Washington--HCFA. Notice.

This notice announces that laboratories located in the State of Washington that possess a valid license under the Medical Test Site Licensure Law, Chapter 70.40 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), continue to be exempt from the requirements of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) until April 30, 2001.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.↗

Assessment of laboratory tests for plasma homocysteine--selected laboratories, July-September 1998.

Cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease and stroke, is the leading cause of death in the United States. Elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy), generally defined as fasting plasma Hcy levels >15 micromol/L, is an independent risk factor for vascular diseases (1,2). It is unknown whether Hcy is a cause of or a marker for atherosclerosis. A recent statement by the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association concluded that until results of clinical trials are available, population-wide Hcy screening is not recommended (3). However, Hcy tests are used in the clinical setting and information on interlaboratory variation, on method variation, is limited. To assess the status of interlaboratory and intralaboratory variation for Hcy analysis, CDC conducted a study of selected laboratories during July-September 1998. This report summarizes findings from the study, which indicates a need to improve analytic precision and to decrease analytic differences among laboratories (4).

Blood Chemical Analysis↗

Benchmarking cardiac catheterization laboratories: the impact of patient age, gender and risk factors on variable costs, device costs, total time and procedural time in 53 catheterization laboratories.

Coronary catheterization laboratories (CCLs) are the cornerstones of the delivery system for many cardiovascular procedures performed in the United States. However, few comprehensive data exist benchmarking physician activities in CCLs. This study benchmarks cost and time data on 82,548 consecutive patient encounters in 53 CCLs for the 18-month period of January 1997 through June 1998. The data are compiled from the OEP program, a relational database developed by Boston Scientific/Scimed (Maple Grove, Minnesota) for use in CCLs. CCL productivity (total time and procedure time) and cost (variable costs and device costs) benchmarks are created for: 1) left heart catheterization; 2) right and left heart catheterization; 3) percutaneous transluminal coronary balloon angioplasty (PTCA); 4) atherectomy; and 5) coronary stents. Results show the variable costs (those costs that vary in direct proportion to changes in CCL activities) for the five procedures are: $308, left heart catheterization; $395, right and left heart catheterization; $841, PTCA; $2,768, atherectomy; and $3,186, coronary stent. These variable costs are lower than the typical average costs reported for these procedures because they do not include hospital, laboratory, and physician costs, only the procedure-specific activity-related costs most directly controlled and/or influenced by CCL physicians or administrators. The total time for the left heart catheterization averaged 64 minutes and 84 minutes for the right and left heart catheterization, respectively, and procedural times averaged 25 and 32 minutes, respectively. For the major interventional procedures N PTCA, atherectomy, and coronary stents, total times averages were 102, 135, and 117 minutes, respectively. Procedural times for these procedures averaged between 60 and 65 percent of the total time. The major implications of these findings are discussed and limitations noted.

Age Factors↗

Automation and high through-put for a DNA database laboratory: development of a laboratory information management system.

Automation and high through-put production of DNA profiles has become a necessity in every DNA database unit. In our laboratory we developed a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) controlled workflow architecture, which comprises a robotic DNA extraction- and pipetting-system and a capillary electrophoresis unit. This allows a through-put of 4,000 samples per person per year. Improved sample handling and data management, full sample- and batch-histories, and software-aided supervision of result data, with a consequent average turn-around time of 8 days, are the main features of our new system.

Austria↗

Laboratory conditions and safety in a chemical warfare agent analysis and research laboratory.

Toxic chemicals have been used as weapons of war and also as means of terrorist attacks on civilian populations. Research focusing on chemical warfare agents (CWAs) may be associated with an increased risk of exposure to and contamination by these agents. This article summarizes some of the regulations concerning designation and safety in a CWA analysis and research laboratory and medical countermeasures in case of an accidental exposure. The design of such a laboratory, coupled with a set of safety guidelines, provides for the safe conduct of research and studies involving CWAs. Thus, a discussion of decontamination and protection means against CWAs is also presented.

Chemical Warfare Agents↗

Determination of reference intervals in the clinical laboratory using the proposed guideline National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards C28-P.

The Subcommittee on Reference Intervals of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) has recently completed a proposed guideline, NCCLS Document C28-P, entitled "How to Define, Determine, and Utilize Reference Intervals in the Clinical Laboratory." This guideline document is an attempt to combine a concise set of procedures and recommendations, largely taken from the original literature, to form a standard, uniform, and reasonable protocol for determining population-based reference intervals. The intent of the guideline is to set forth the minimum requirements for the determination of a reliable and clinically useful reference interval. The subcommittee hopes the document will set a standard that upgrades the quality of reference intervals to a level worthy of their use in clinical medicine.

Female↗