ADVANCE Outlook: Lab Professionals : Safety

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Michael Jones — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:22:00 GMT

There’s a scene in the 60s-era AMC series “Mad Men” that involves a pregnant woman smoking and drinking while her friend’s child runs around with a dry cleaning bag over her head. All of this happens in the space of about a minute, and there are so many...(read more)

Heavy Eyelids and Heavier Feet

Michael Jones — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:34:00 GMT

Are you lost without that morning cup of coffee before starting your first set of runs? Apparently athletes are too. The use of caffeine in day-of-the-race energy supplements is common and widely accepted as helpful for athletes during endurance competitions...(read more)

Startling News or Common Sense?

Lynn — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:55:00 GMT

The Annals of Internal Medicine this week published a report that lends weight to the benefits of school closure during a flu pandemic. Not only did this help reduce transmission among school-age children, but it also seemed to slow the spread to others...(read more)

Calibration Verification

Lynn — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:30:00 GMT

Based on the near-record attendance of our recent “Calibration Verification” webinar, this is a compelling topic for clinical laboratory professionals. We appreciate the questions you posed to our speaker and hope you are able to apply this new knowledge...(read more)

Measuring Quality

Lynn — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:17:00 GMT

Addressing quality is a common, daily occurrence in the clinical lab. And as medical professionals, you're well aware of the significance of continuous quality improvement, quality assurance/control and more. You now have an opportunity to view how other...(read more)

Surviving Irene

Kerri Penno — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:20:00 GMT

There was a small "pop" as he power went out, and the television, lights and the AC collectively shut down, and we were left in complete darkness and utter silence. It sounds absurd, but I didn't realize just how dark it would be if we actually lost power....(read more)

COLA Cares Week 2011

Matthew T. Patton — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 03:26:00 GMT

At COLA, we’re all part of the same work community. Together we help promote patient safety by promoting lab excellence. Considering that lab testing impacts more than 70 percent of diagnostic decisions, the COLA community’s efforts impact a lot of people....(read more)

Editorial: Strike Against Point of Care?

Matthew T. Patton — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 02:29:00 GMT

A Pennsylvania Department of Health report revealed that a patient died at a hospital after discrepant blood sugar results allegedly went unrecognized and, worse yet, unreported to doctors. This post-transplant patient allegedly died as a result of low...(read more)

Editorial: Down With the Clown?

Matthew T. Patton — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 23:33:00 GMT

First, it was San Francisco banning Happy Meal toys. And now it looks like New York wants to follow suit. A time.com article recently stated: "New York City Council member Leroy G. Comrie, Jr., of Queens is leading the charge to ban kid-friendly toys...(read more)

Needed: Seasoned Writers

Matthew T. Patton — Thu, 19 May 2011 21:22:00 GMT

We are looking for seasoned laboratory professionals to write detailed articles about their specialties for our website. Specifically, we are seeking articles on improving workflow, delivering more accurate test results and new technologies in hematology,...(read more)

Help Us Plan Our 2012 Calendar

Matthew T. Patton — Fri, 13 May 2011 14:47:00 GMT

It is hard to believe that nearly half of the year 2011 has come and gone. Summer is just days away. Starting this month, the ADVANCE for Medical Laboratory Professionals team is already looking at our calendars with our eyes on 2012. As we are doing...(read more)

Safety of Stored Blood Questioned

Amanda Koehler — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:30:00 GMT

ADVANCE received the following press release from AABB: In light of recent studies suggesting the use of stored blood during transfusions may cause adverse effects in patients, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) funded a number of research...(read more)

Patient Privacy Violations Follow Arizona Shootings

Matthew T. Patton — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 04:29:00 GMT

According to a statement issued by the University Medical Center (UMC), Tucson, AZ, the hospital has terminated three clinical support staff members this week for inappropriately accessing confidential electronic medical records of victims in Saturday's...(read more)

Responding to Blizzard Emergencies

Matthew T. Patton — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 18:03:00 GMT

(Editor's Note: This blog post was written by Pam Tarapchak, editor of ADVANCE for Nurses ). "A woman with stroke symptoms in Midwood, Brooklyn, waited for an ambulance for six hours, finally arriving at the hospital with telltale signs of advanced brain...(read more)

Asleep at the Wheel

Amanda Koehler — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:19:00 GMT

For 9 months, I had a 1-hour commute from my house to work. The commute, mostly all highway driving, could have been much worse and I didn't mind it too much. However, looking back, I realize I probably took part in a dangerous activity many others have...(read more)