ICYMI: Around the Journals August 2021

AJCP and Lab Medicine journals publish original research, case studies, and more that is important to pathology and laboratory medicine.

Here are some highlights you may have missed.

In AJCP….

The Choosing Wisely campaign has put forth recommendations over the past decade to help curb overuse of certain tests and ensuring patient safety. A new study in AJCP developed a list for Choosing Wisely Canada the reflects the scope of the practice of nonpathologist medical laboratory professionals. Read on to better understand the relationship among this group, patient safety, and resource waste.

Accurate cancer diagnoses are critical to quality patient care. New research describes the results of a laboratory improvement process at the Uganda Cancer Institute. Started in 2017, the project sought to build capacity for quality and timely laboratory diagnostics to support cancer care in Uganda.

In Laboratory Medicine…

Tracking anti-microbial resistance is important to ensure pathogens do not become untreatable. This new study looks at detecting antimicrobial-resistant determinants in N. gonorrhoeae directly from endocervical specimens.

Few reports of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) caused by maternal autoantibodies exist in today’s literature, but new research adds to it. The case describes a pregnant patient with systemic lupus erythematosus without any transfusion history who developed autoantibody with mimicking anti-E specificity. Her newborn developed HDFN caused by the maternal autoantibody. Read more to find out the results.

“For a red blood cell concentrate unit to meet the quality requirements stipulated by the European Directives for Quality of Medicines (EDQM), the hemoglobin (Hb) concentration must be higher than 40 g/dL.” So write the authors of a new study that looks at how POCT identifies borderline or anemic asymptomatic blood donors, which quality control checks confirm fit for use—but it’s still not clear whether the analyzer performs correctly. Read on to learn more about their findings.