Browsing Tag

Obstetrics & Gynecology

General Information

Outpatient Lab Draw Site Updates

Effective Monday, October 2, 2023, the Outpatient Lab Draw Sites in Kent, Ottawa, and Muskegon counties (excluding the Zeeland Hospital and Gerber Hospital sites) will begin a new process for walk-in patients.

Registration staff will begin informing the patient of their wait times based on the scheduling template available for that site for that day. This will allow the patient to make an informed decision on whether to wait, come back at a later time, or schedule an appointment time that works best for them. Patients choosing to schedule, may schedule for any available sites, times and dates in MyChart, or they may schedule with the registrar for the next 24-48 hours.  (Note: lab staff does not have the ability to schedule patients.)

Additionally, at this time, Blodgett Outpatient Lab is temporarily closed until further notice. Sites closest to Blodgett are the Integrated Care Campus at 426 Michigan St NE, 4100 Lake Drive, and Integrated Care Campus at 2750 East Beltline, or patients may visit Find a Doctor | Corewell Health to find a lab location nearest to them.

 

September 29, 2023 by
Test Utilization

Test Update: Chlamydia Culture Discontinued

Effective September 13, 2023, Corewell Health Laboratory will discontinue the Chlamydia Culture orderable. For patients 14 years of age and older, please order Chlamydia PCR.

• This specimen can be either a swab (genital, rectal, or throat) or a urine sample.
• The collection container is the STD-Multi-Collection Kit.
• For more information please visit: Chlamydia PCR

For patients that are under 14 years of age, a “Reference Miscellaneous Test” [LAB 848], must be ordered.

• This specimen can be either a swab (genital, rectal, or throat) or a urine sample.
• The collection container is the Aptima
• For more information please visit: APTIMA Chlamydia, NAAT, ThinPrep, Swab, Urine

As a reminder, PCR testing is also preferred for gonorrhea, when the specimen types are compatible. Continue Reading

August 30, 2023 by
General Information, Hematology

Update: Complete Blood Count (CBC)

Starting November 29th, 2022, Corewell Health West, Hematology Laboratories will begin reporting absolute counts for white blood cell (WBC) manual differentials, in addition to relative (percentage) counts. The WBC differential count determines the number of each type of white blood cell present in the blood. It can be expressed as a percentage or as an absolute value. Of these, the absolute value is much more important than the relative value, given that clinically relevant WBC elevations and declines are defined by their absolute numbers, not by their relative proportions, and there is potential for error if this conversion is performed outside the laboratory. Continue Reading

November 23, 2022 by
General Information, Toxicology

Update: Meconium Drug Testing

Effective November 21, 2022, the following changes will be made to Meconium Drug Testing (LAB479).

  1. The cutoff for positivity for the opiate drug class (codeine, morphine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone) will increase to 20 ng/g from 10 ng/g.
  2. The format of reporting will be updated to include discrete reporting fields for all tested analytes. Positive results will no longer be denoted via comments.

Continue Reading

November 17, 2022 by
Advanced Technology Laboratory, Cytogenetics

Discontinuation of Low-Volume and Individual Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH) Probes

Effective immediately, due to low test utilization and the high cost of maintaining proficiency, the following FISH tests will no longer be offered:

• Prader-Willi/Angelman (15q11-q13) by FISH

Recommended test is Angelman/Prader-Willi mPCR

• Smith Magenis (17p11) by FISH

• Williams (7q11,23) by FISH

If need arises for this test, please place an order for a Send out Genetics Miscellaneous and enter requested test in the comments. The testing will be sent out through Spectrum Health.

Any questions about referral testing may be directed to the Referral Department. Any questions or concerns regarding these changes may be directed to Dr. Salah Ebrahim in the Cytogenetics Laboratory. Continue Reading

April 27, 2022 by
General Information, Microbiology, Test Utilization

Discontinuation of Placenta Microbiology Cultures

As of April 12, 2022, Spectrum Health Laboratory will no longer add microbiology cultures to placental tissues received based on paper requisition forms.

Viral and bacterial cultures from placental tissue are rarely clinically beneficial and are no longer the gold standard diagnostic approach due to the relative insensitivity of culture methods.

If viral studies are desired (possible indications could include known CMV exposure with positive IgM or intrauterine fetal demise at < 28 weeks), then molecular testing is the recommended diagnostic approach. HSV and CMV PCR tests may be ordered in Epic.

• Herpes Simplex 1/2 Qualitative PCR, Tissue (LAB1230413)

• Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Qualitative PCR, Tissue (LAB1230291)

Bacterial cultures are challenging to interpret since they typically grow normal genital flora and histopathological analysis used to diagnose acute chorioamnionitis correlates poorly with growth from bacterial placenta cultures. If indicated, culture and PCR tests may be ordered in Epic.

• Tissue Culture (LAB2111173)

• Metamycoplasma hominis, Molecular Detection, PCR, Varies (LAB848)

• Ureaplasma species, Molecular Detection, PCR, Varies (LAB848)

Placenta tissues sent to the lab in formalin are not acceptable for PCR or culture orders.

April 11, 2022 by