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PubMed1993

Types of drug-testing programmes in the workplace.

The article begins with a discussion of the common features of drug-testing programmes. Regulations, procedures and methods for the collection of biological specimens, the subsequent handling and analysis of the specimens and the reporting of the interpreted results are all important aspects to be dealt with in testing programmes. Different types of testing are examined. Pre-employment testing is a popular type of screening but a number of other programmes exist, including post-accident, reasonable suspicion, post-treatment, random and voluntary testing programmes. The goals of these programmes range from improvement of employees' health, safety, quality of life in the workplace and productivity to reduction of drug misuse in society at large. Emphasis is placed on the need for scientific evaluation and on examining whether those goals have been achieved. In the absence of such evaluation, drug-testing programmes should be carried out with caution; some modifications of existing programmes are suggested.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed1977

A case of coccidioidomycosis in Australia.

We report what we believe to be the first case of coccidioidomycosis to be diagnosed within Australia, and emphasize the dangers of handling Coccidioides immitis in the laboratory.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

A novel real-time PCR to detect Chlamydia trachomatis in first-void urine or genital swabs.

Screening for Chlamydia trachomatis infections can be performed on urine samples and genital swabs using molecular techniques. A novel approach was developed that combined an automated extraction procedure, an automated liquid-handling system and real-time PCR to detect C. trachomatis from urine or swabs. This novel real-time PCR approach was compared to the commercial Cobas Amplicor system on 628 specimens. In a retrospective analysis, 51 samples that tested positive using the Cobas assay were also positive with the real-time PCR, whereas the 49 samples negative with Cobas were also negative with the real-time PCR, for an overall agreement of 100 %. Among 528 prospective samples consecutively received at the authors' laboratory with a request for C. trachomatis PCR, five PCR reactions were inhibited when tested with Cobas. These five inhibited samples were found negative with the real-time PCR. Among the remaining 523 samples, 45 (8.6 %) were positive with both methods, 476 (91 %) were negative with both methods, and 2 (0.4 %) were positive with Cobas but negative with the real-time PCR. Thus, when considering Cobas as the gold standard, the overall agreement was 99.6 %, the sensitivity of the real-time PCR was 95.7 % and the specificity was 100 %. The two discrepant samples were retested in parallel and were found negative with both methods. When testing a batch of 25 samples, both reagent costs and laboratory technician time were reduced with the new technique (7.30 euros per sample and 134 min) compared to Cobas (11.20 euros per sample and 232 min). Moreover, due to reduced organizational constraints, the median time from sample reception to result was only 24 h using the automated platform. Overall, this novel real-time PCR approach exhibited an excellent specificity and a sensitivity similar to that of Cobas Amplicor PCR for the detection of C. trachomatis. Given its high throughput potential and low costs/laboratory technician time requirement, it may be useful for future use in large C. trachomatis screening programs.

Automation↗
PubMed1987

Radioimmunoassay in microtiter plates. A convenient method for determining bound radiolabelled ligand.

A radioimmunoassay was performed in the wells of casein-coated microplates employing 125I-labelled sheep anti-human second antibody. The antigen-antibody complexes were thereafter dislodged from the well walls using the detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the entire contents of the wells were simultaneously absorbed into 48 cellulose acetate-absorbing cartridges. All 48 cartridges were transferred to counting vials and the radioactivity determined by standard gamma counting techniques. The particular advantage of the method described here is the ease with which the supernatants can be collected and transferred to counting vials with minimal handling of radioactive samples.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Handling sentinel lymph node biopsy specimens.A work in progress.

This article reviews the "state of practice" with regard to sentinel lymph node biopsy, a new and evolving technique currently used most commonly for staging of malignant melanoma and adenocarcinoma of the breast. Sentinel lymph node biopsy has the potential to both increase the accuracy of lymph node sampling as a prognostic tool and to decrease the need for unnecessary and morbid extensive lymph node dissection in such patients. The need for close cooperation and planning involving the surgeon and pathologist is stressed, and gross room tissue handling, radiation safety, microscopic examination, and the use of ancillary diagnostic techniques are discussed.

Biopsy↗
PubMed2003

Disturbances to metal partitioning during toxicity testing of iron(II)-rich estuarine pore waters and whole sediments.

Metal partitioning is altered when suboxic estuarine sediments containing Fe(II)-rich pore waters are disturbed during collection, preparation, and toxicity testing. Experiments with model Fe(II)-rich pore waters demonstrated the rates at which adsorptive losses of Cd, Cu, Ni, Mn, Pb, and Zn occur upon exposure to air. Experiments with Zn-contaminated estuarine sediments demonstrated large and often unpredictable changes to metal partitioning during sediment storage, removal of organisms, and homogenization before testing. Small modifications to conditions, such as aeration of overlying waters, caused large changes to the metal partitioning. Disturbances caused by sediment collection required many weeks for reestablishment of equilibrium. Bioturbation by benthic organisms led to oxidation of pore-water Fe(II) and lower Zn fluxes because of the formation of Fe hydroxide precipitates that adsorb pore-water Zn. For five weeks after the addition of organisms to sediments, Zn fluxes increased slowly as the organisms established themselves in the sediments, indicating that the establishment of equilibrium was not rapid. The results are discussed in terms of the dynamic nature of suboxic, Fe(II)-rich estuarine sediments, how organisms perturb their environment, and the importance of understanding chemistry in toxicity testing with whole sediments or pore water. Recommendations are provided for the handling of sediments for toxicity testing.

Ferrous Compounds↗
PubMed1985

Comparison of effects of different anticoagulants and sample handling procedures on rat insulin radioimmunoassay.

1. The effects of several potential inducers of artifacts on insulin RIA: use of anticoagulant (heparin, EDTA) versus clotting , repeated freezing/thawing and the presence of added ions (Ca2+, Zn2+) has been studied on a large uniform pooled sample of rat blood. 2. Repeated freezing and thawing resulted in a very significant loss of RIA insulin. 3. The use of heparin or added lipid (Intralipid) to serum samples resulted in lower insulin measurements, whereas low protein or EDTA addition resulted in higher values. The effect of EDTA was not a consequence of its sequestering of calcium or zinc, as their combined addition did not change the EDTA effect. 4. The use of individualized non-specific binding for actual insulin estimations did not correct most of the artifacts induced by the different treatments studied. 5. As a general conclusion, utmost care must be taken to prevent the incidence of these sources of error by referring the data to controls, avoiding the use of EDTA as well as taking into account the actual composition and handling of the samples when measuring their insulin levels.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Volatile substance abuse--post-mortem diagnosis.

A substantial number of children and adolescents world-wide abuse volatile substances with the intention to experience an euphoric state of consciousness. Although the ratio of deaths to nonfatal inhalation escapades is low, it is an important and preventable cause of death in young people. In the analytical investigation of volatile substances proper sample collection, storage and handling are important in view of the volatile nature of the compounds. Volatile organic compounds in post-mortem matrices such as blood, urine and tissues are generally determined by gas chromatography after extracting the compounds with methods such as static and dynamic headspace or even with pulse-heating and solvent extraction. In post-mortem cases, metabolites in urine seem less relevant, however, trichloroethanol and trichloroacetic acid were determined in several cases. When interpreting qualitative and quantitative results, researchers should be aware of false conclusions. The main reason why scepticism is necessary is the occurrence of losses of analytes during sampling, sample handling and storage, which results in false quantitation.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1997

Stability of cytochrome P4501A-associated enzyme activity in cryogenically stored teleost liver samples.

Induction of cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A), more specifically the associated enzyme activity aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH), has been shown to be one of the most sensitive measures of exposure of vertebrate animals to a range of organic chemical contaminants. However, in order to reliably use this biochemical method for analyzing archived samples, the stability of the enzyme activity in storage must be ascertained. Stability of AHH activity was determined for both tissue sections and subcellular fractions of liver collected from English sole (Pleuronectes vetulus), and held in cryogenic storage for up to 24 months. Our overall recommendations for sample collection, handling, storage, and assay are given.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Monitoring of occupational exposure to methylene chloride: sampling protocol and stability of urine samples.

A sampling protocol for biomonitoring of the volatile solvent methylene chloride (MeCl(2)) by analysis of urine from exposed workers was established. Storage temperature, sample volume in headspace vial (HSV), and time to sealing HSV on determination of MeCl(2) in urine were evaluated. MeCl(2) was analyzed by a solid-phase microextraction technique combined with gas chromatography. Volume of urine in HSV has no effect on MeCl(2) analysis. Delays of 30 and 60 min from collection of urine until sealing the HSV caused 14.47 +/- 6.98% and 26.17 +/- 9.57% decreases from baseline concentration, respectively. MeCl(2) concentration in spiked urine samples stored in sealed HSVs decreased on day 2 and then remained stable for 2 weeks. Refrigeration did not improve recovery although it seems to be associated with less variability. MeCl(2) in urine samples of seven exposed workers was in the range of 0.02-0.06 mg/L. Sampling of MeCl(2)-containing urine should include collection of urine in closed plastic bottles, transfer to HSV within 15 min, sealing and clamping of HSV within 15 s, and storage of HSV in refrigeration until analysis, but no longer than 2 weeks. Standard samples should be prepared on the day of test sample collection and handled under the same conditions.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Normal histology of the colon.

We describe the normal gross anatomy and histology of the colon, with emphasis on the appearance of the mucosa as seen in the endoscopic biopsies. Various artifacts that may be encountered as a result of trauma from the biopsy forceps, incorrect orientation of the tissue, fixation, and the effects of laxatives and enemas are described and illustrated. Recommendations for optimum handling of biopsies are made.

Biopsy↗