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ADVANCE Outlook: Lab Professionals

H1N1 Diagnosis
October 20, 2009 11:45 AM by Amanda Koehler
About a month ago, I was visiting with my sister. During our conversation, she brought up that her boyfriend had swine flu. I was concerned for him (and, additionally, for her) but also intrigued because he was the first person I knew who had H1N1. Working Read More...
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OCD Releases Anti-HIV Test
October 14, 2009 1:25 PM by Amanda Koehler
Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Raritan, NJ, announced today FDA approval of a diagnostic assay for the detection of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) types 1+2 (Anti-HIV 1+2) for use on the VITROS 5600 Integrated and VITROS 3600 Immunodiagnostic Read More...
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Be SMART
September 28, 2009 3:50 PM by Kerri Penno
bioMérieux, an in vitro diagnostics company, heightened its role in the fight against antimicrobial resistance by launching its Solutions to Manage the Antimicrobial Resistance Threat (SMART) Campaign at the 49th Annual Interscience Conference for Antimicrobial Read More...
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H1N1 Vaccine Approved
September 15, 2009 3:53 PM by Kerri Penno
The FDA has approved four vaccines against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. The vaccines will be distributed nationally after the initial lots become available, which is expected within the next 4 weeks. All four firms manufacturing the H1N1 vaccines--CSL Read More...
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FDA Clears Vermillion's OVA1
September 14, 2009 1:00 PM by Kerri Penno
The FDA has cleared Vermillion Inc.'s (Fremont, CA) OVA1 test to help detect ovarian cancer in pelvic masses requiring surgery. OVA1 identifies women who will benefit from referral to a gynecological oncologist for surgery, despite negative results from Read More...
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(Flu) Shots for All!
August 19, 2009 12:22 PM by Amanda Koehler
This morning I read a story in the New York Times about how New York is mandating flu shots for all healthcare workers, mostly out of fear of H1N1 outbreaks. A healthcare union in the state is protesting, saying: "Healthcare workers on the front lines Read More...
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Rapid Tests for H1N1
August 6, 2009 8:47 AM by Amanda Koehler
Here's a great article from The New York Times featuring the lab and H1N1 testing. The story says rapid tests for H1N1 fail to properly detect infections more than half the time. Have you been finding this is true for your laboratory? Read More...
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NIH and Wikipedia Team Up
July 29, 2009 1:36 PM by Amanda Koehler
Over a year ago, I wrote a blog about the validity of Wikipedia. In a world where people turn to the Internet for medical information, I believe Wikipedia should do a better job in policing what is written on their Web site. It seems I may be getting Read More...
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Ramping Up Vaccine Production
July 17, 2009 10:58 AM by Kerri Penno
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the department will commit $884 million to purchase additional ingredients for H1N1 vaccines to further prepare the nation for a potential resurgence of the 2009 H1N1 virus. The funds will be used to place additional Read More...
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Stop Testing for H1N1?
July 8, 2009 11:49 AM by Amanda Koehler
An article I found on the United Press International's Web site said the WHO is getting ready to tell countries to stop testing for the H1N1 virus. Because these tests are flooding labs and making it hard for laboratorians to keep up, healthcare professionals Read More...
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It's Official
June 11, 2009 1:45 PM by Kerri Penno
"The world is now at the start of the 2009 influenza pandemic." With these words, Margaret Chan, MD, MPH, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), raised the influenza pandemic alert to phase 6, the highest level. With almost 30,000 confirmed Read More...
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Preparing for a Bio-Katrina
May 26, 2009 12:03 PM by Matthew T. Patton
In an interview with Federal News Radio in March, Tara O’Toole, MD, MPH, was asked what she would tell President Obama if she had the chance. Her reply: "There is a possibility, a real possibility, that there could be the equivalent of a bio-Katrina on Read More...
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Pathogen Immunity
May 18, 2009 3:35 PM by Kerri Penno
One of today's ASM Award Lectures was the Maurice Hilleman Merck Award, presented to Stanley A. Plotkin, Sanofi Pasteur, Doylestown, PA. Maurice Hilleman is known for having developed more than 40 vaccines and is credited with having saved more lives Read More...
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Challenges Facing Healthcare Reform
May 3, 2009 2:04 PM by Amanda Koehler
This morning at the keynote session for CLMA's ThinkLab '09, held May 2-5 at the Tampa (FL) Convention Center, political analyst Charlie Cook entertained and informed audience members. According to CLMA Immediate Past President (as of today) JoAnne Milbourne, Read More...
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Ovarian Cancer Screening
March 11, 2009 1:49 PM by Kerri Penno
Primary results published in worldwide media reports this week suggest a combined blood test and ultrasound, termed a "multimodal" approach, may be the key to screening for ovarian cancer-known as a silent killer because symptoms do not appear until the Read More...
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