The goal of clinical laboratories is to produce accurate information for clinical decision making in medicine. More than half of the medical decisions made depend on clinical laboratory tests. Patient safety represents an important and critical problem for laboratories. They need to assure that the information they deliver to physicians is accurate, and therefore safe for clinicians to use. Endogenous compounds can interfere with laboratory tests, decreasing accuracy and threatening patient safety. Elevated bilirubin (bilirubinemia) and elevated lipids (lipemia) are common conditions that cause significant interferences with laboratory results. Clinicians depend on laboratories to detect these endogenous interferences. Laboratories must have a means to detect these endogenous interferences, make decisions about reporting results, and evaluate their impact. Most clinical pathology books provide only an abbreviated introduction to the subject, or provide a long list of references, without the necessary foundation for evaluating their significance. Package inserts typically provide scant information. This book provides the empirical and theoretical foundation for these interferences, describes the clinical settings where they occur, and explains their evaluation and detection, allowing the laboratory to interpret the available data on interferences and make the appropriate decision to effectively report test results while protecting patient safety.

This practical, easy-to-use guide, named to Doody’s Core Titles 2013, addresses interference issues in all laboratory tests, including patient epigenetics, process of specimen collection, enzymes, biomarkers. Clinicians and laboratory scientists can therefore rely on one reference which speaks to both their needs of accurate specimen analysis and optimal patient care. Erroneous hospital and pathology laboratory results can be confusing and problematic, especially in acute care situations. While some factors creating interference, can be identified in the laboratory, detecting many others is often dependent on clinical details unavailable to the laboratory scientists or pathologists. Therefore, clinicians must become proficient in identifying such erroneous reports, and working with pathologists and laboratory scientists so that they can understand the source of such interferences, correct the results, and then decide what course of action must be followed for proper patient management. Named to Doody’s Core Titles 2013, a collection development tool for health sciences libraries of all sizes, by Doody Enterprises Practical information for both clinicians and laboratory scientists, presented in the form of tables and charts for easy reference Focus on range and sources of interferences rather than details of toxicologic mechanisms which are well covered in toxicology textbooks Covers interferences across endocrine, oncology, hematology, immunohistochemistry, immunology, serology, microbiology, and molecular testing

Contemporary Practice in Clinical Chemistry, Fourth Edition, provides a clear and concise overview of important topics in the field. This new edition is useful for students, residents and fellows in clinical chemistry and pathology, presenting an introduction and overview of the field to assist readers as they in review and prepare for board certification examinations. For new medical technologists, the book provides context for understanding the clinical utility of tests that they perform or use in other areas in the clinical laboratory. For experienced laboratorians, this revision continues to provide an opportunity for exposure to more recent trends and developments in clinical chemistry. Includes enhanced illustration and new and revised color figures Provides improved self-assessment questions and end-of-chapter assessment questions

This new edition of Norbert Tietz's classic handbook presents information on common tests as well as rare and highly specialized tests and procedures - including a summary of the utility and merit of each test. Biological variables that may affect test results are discussed, and a focus is placed on reference ranges, diagnostic information, clinical interpretation of laboratory data, interferences, and specimen types. New and updated content has been added in all areas, with over 100 new tests added. Tests are divided into 8 main sections and arranged alphabetically. Each test includes necessary information such as test name (or disorder) and method, specimens and special requirements, reference ranges, chemical interferences and in vivo effects, kinetic values, diagnostic information, factors influencing drug disposition, and clinical comments and remarks. The most current and relevant tests are included; outdated tests have been eliminated. Test index (with extensive cross references) and disease index provide the reader with an easy way to find necessary information Four new sections in key areas (Preanalytical, Flow Cytometry, Pharmacogenomics, and Allergy) make this edition current and useful. New editor Alan Wu, who specializes in Clinical Chemistry and Toxicology, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this edition. The Molecular Diagnostics section has been greatly expanded due to the increased prevalence of new molecular techniques being used in laboratories. References are now found after each test, rather than at the end of each section, for easier access.

Meningitis and Encephalitis are associated with high rates of mortality and neurological sequelae. The differential diagnosis includes a wide spectrum of infectious and non-infectious etiologies, some requiring urgent therapy for survival. The current management challenges in patients with meningitis and encephalitis include a low sensitivity of meningeal signs, overutilization of unnecessary screening cranial imaging, delays in diagnosis of urgent treatable causes, a large proportion of unknown etiologies, low sensitivity of current microbiological techniques especially in the setting of previous antibiotic therapy, underutilization of available molecular diagnostic tests, and empiric antibiotic therapy and hospitalization for viral meningitis cases. Even though there are published guidelines, compliance with them is not optimal and physicians do not follow standardized algorithms in their empirical approach. As meningitis and encephalitis is associated with high rates of adverse clinical outcomes, prevention, when feasible is of upmost importance. Adherence to protocols to prevent health-care associated meningitis and ventriculitis are effective but compliance with them is not uniformly performed. This book seeks to improve outcomes for meningitis and encephalitis cases handled by physicians who may or may not be thoroughly trained for these challenges. The text introduces the current guidelines but also discusses the gaps that leave clinicians struggling to implement the most appropriate approaches for these particular neurological infections. Each chapter delivers the tools necessary to identify and adhere to the most appropriate diagnostic technique, management protocols, and prevention approach for each situation. All chapters conclude with discourse on future directions in research and quality improvement. Written by experts in infectious diseases, the book covers topics that are the most devastating, including healthcare-acquired infections, autoimmune encephalitis, and infections as they present in HIV patients. Meningitis and Encephalitis is a well-rounded resource for all medical professionals encountering these neurological syndromes, including infectious disease specialists, neurologists, primary care physicians, and immunologists.

Written in a handbook style with specific methods and tips on eliminating false positive and false negative results, this book is a practical guide to the detailed mechanisms of such occurrences.