Browsing Tag

Kate Rubritius

Hematology

Result Reporting Change of Nucleated Cells in Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Counts

Cell Count w/ Differential if indicated, Cerebrospinal Fluid [LAB2111025] and Cell Count with Differential, Cerebrospinal Fluid (Pediatric Oncology) [LAB212] currently result nucleated cell counts as a White Blood Cell (WBC) count.

Effective Tuesday, August 16, 2022, the WBC component will be removed and instead reported as a Total Nucleated Cell (TNC) Count for CSF.

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General Information, Hematology

Test Update: Cell Count with Differential, Body Fluid

Beginning Tuesday, January 4, 2022, Spectrum Health Laboratories will include an automated neutrophil (PMN) count on Cell Count with Differential, Body Fluid (LAB210) orders for peritoneal body fluids.   This component will be displayed in Epic as an absolute PMN count, body fluid.

• The absolute PMN count in the peritoneal fluid is calculated by multiplying the total nucleated cell count by the percentage of PMNs in the differential.

• This calculation aids in the diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP).

• The diagnosis of bacterial peritonitis is established by a positive peritoneal fluid bacterial culture and an elevated peritoneal fluid absolute PMN count (≥250 cells/uL).

• Epic will automatically calculate the absolute PMN count in peritoneal body fluids based on the manual differential data.

• This component ONLY calculates for Cell Count with Differentials (LAB210) on PERITONEAL BODY FLUIDS Continue Reading

General Information, Hemostasis/Coagulation

Test Update: Prothrombin Time (Protime/PT)

Effective December 6, 2021, Spectrum Health Reference Laboratory (SHRL) Coagulation department will go live with a new lot of Prothrombin Time (Protime/PT) reagents. The reference range for the PT will be adjusted to reflect this reagent lot change and align with our Regional Laboratories. The new reference range will be 9.5 – 12.0 seconds. There will be no change to the INR ranges.

Test Current Reference Range New Reference Range
Prothrombin Time (PT) 9.7 – 12.6 seconds 9.5 – 12.0 seconds

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Hemostasis/Coagulation

aPTT Range Update for Heparin Nomograms

On Tuesday October 26, 2021, a new lot of aPTT reagent will go live for the Spectrum Health Laboratory Information System starting at 10:00 AM.

• The aPTT therapeutic range for ADULT patients on continuous heparin infusions will be updated to reflect the new reagents.  The therapeutic range, for most indications, will be changed from 37 to 52 seconds to a new range of 42 to 57 seconds. UFH anti-Xa therapeutic ranges will remain unchanged (0.3 to 0.7 units/mL).  All ADULT nomograms will be adjusted to reflect the new therapeutic ranges.

• For PEDIATRIC  patients, aPTT nomograms will no longer be used in this population. Only the unfractionated heparin (UFH) anti-Xa nomograms will remain for PEDIATRIC patients, again with no changes made to their current UFH anti-Xa nomograms.

The aPTT reference range remains unchanged. Continue Reading

Uncategorized

Update: National Shortage of Sodium Citrate (“Blue Top”) Blood Collection Tubes

September 1, 2021

There continues to be a global shortage of sodium citrate (“blue top”) blood collection tubes used for coagulation testing as a result of unprecedented demand, in part due to COVID-19 surges, vaccine and treatment development. This was anticipated to last through August 2021, but now, due to continued unprecedented demands, there is no end date in sight. Please take this into consideration when ordering coagulation testing (i.e. Protime, aPTT, Fibrinogen, D-dimer, Lupus Screens, Factor Assays, Mixing Studies, von Willebrand testing, etc.). Continue Reading