CLSI Blog Articles
Read the latest articles about CLSI and laboratory standards in the official CLSI Blog. Browse our most recent blog articles below.
Medical laboratory workers who handle tissue, body fluids, and other specimens from infected patients are at high risk for work-related exposures to infectious material. For some of these organisms, laboratory workers are at greater risk of acquiring such infections than the general population. Laboratory-acquired infections may occur through inhalation; ingestion; direct contact of the eye, nose, mouth, or skin; or parenteral inoculation.
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From October 21-27 we celebrate Healthcare Quality Week (HQW), brought to you by the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ). Implementing a quality management system (QMS) in the laboratory is one important way to improve health care quality. A QMS in the lab can help ensure patient safety and risk management principle application, as well as help prepare a lab for accreditation.
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Patient-Centered Care Awareness Month is an international awareness-building campaign to commemorate the progress that has been made toward making patient-centered care a reality and to build momentum for further progress. This October will mark the ninth annual Patient-Centered Care Awareness Month, and health care organizations and patient groups around the world will be participating in the campaign.
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The US Celebration of World Standards Day, an event that recognizes the critical role of various stakeholders across the standards community, including business leaders, industry, academia, and government, will be held in Washington, DC on October 18, 2018.
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CLSI’s Global Health Partnerships (GHP) presented a PEPFAR-funded workshop series entitled Molecular Practical Trainings in PCR Methodology for HIV Testing in the Central Asia Region between March to September 2018. A workshop was held in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Each workshop was co-led by CLSI’s Melissa Meeks, GHP’s Director of Education and Development and subject matter expert Catherine Gebhart, PhD, MB(ASCP)CM, D(ABHI), Technical Director of the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, with the assistance of local Russian-English interpreters. Each training included theoretical and hands-on components.
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Accurate diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is essential for limiting the spread of infection and for appropriate treatment. A variety of HIV lab tests have been developed and are used by laboratorians and clinicians to aid with diagnosis.
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Newborn blood spot screening is the practice of testing newborns for certain harmful or potentially fatal diseases that aren't apparent at birth. A simple blood test can diagnose these rare conditions. Although most newborns test negative, early diagnosis in the form of newborn blood spot screening and timely treatment can sometimes mean the difference between lifelong impairment or even death and healthy development. Two of many diseases that newborns are screened for are Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID) and Pompe Disease.
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Patient care is complex and depends on accurate and timely information, including patient examination information provided by the laboratory. The results provided by the laboratory are a valuable resource used to guide clinical decision making for improving patient outcomes. An efficient laboratory data management system is crucial for the smooth operation of the lab.
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Cystic fibrosis newborn screening accuracy is essential for early diagnosis and treatment, which has been shown to improve outcomes. In a seven year study of 16 sibling pairs with cystic fibrosis, it was found thatearly initiation of therapy (before age 1) was beneficial. Although cystic fibrosis neonatal screening will identify the vast majority of infants with cystic fibrosis, there are many factors in the newborn screening system that can lead to misdiagnosis.
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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most serious public health concerns in the world. Although AMR occurs naturally over time, the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials is speeding this process. An example of antimicrobial misuse is when a patient with a viral infection is given an antibiotic used to treat a bacterial infection. Another example is a patient with a bacterial infection taking the wrong antibiotic for that infection.
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