Hi, we are switching Fritsma Factor to WordPress, which will enhance some of our capabilitites and make it easier to find prior posts on specific subjects. Expect a number of new posts once the switch is complete and we have tested it for functionality. Geo.

George,

I was wondering if you could recommend a “quick” reference guide that provides a comprehensive yet easily understandable overview of hemostasis (I know this may be an oxymoron).  Our off shifts are sometimes questioned by clinicians (mainly residents) about interpretations of “special” coagulation tests (lupus anticoagulant, APC testing, proteins C and S, etc). While the majority of the information they would need to convey is contained either in the SOPs or in the textbooks that are available to them, I’m told that they are not always the most convenient source for them to use.  Any suggestions would be helpful,
Thank you, Matt
 
Matthew Riley BS, MT (ASCP)
Technical Supervisor
Hematology Department
Jersey Shore University Medical Center
Member of the Meridian Health Family

Our Carolinas Clinical Connection meeting begins tomorrow in Myrtle Beach, SC. My January 19 announcement provides the details. I am speaking Friday morning on "Does Aspirin Work? Monitoring Antiplatelet Response." If you would like the handout for my presentation, please select the linked title and print. Thank you. Geo.

Margaret Fritsma, MA, MT (ASCP) SBB and I will participate in the Congreso Cientifico, at the Intercontinental Hotel Tegulcigalpa, Honduras at the invitation of Milena Vanegas, MS MT (ASCP) on Wednesday, July 1 through Friday, July 3, 2009. We thank Ms. Vanegas for the invitation and look forward to presenting at the meeting. Here is Ms. Vanegas invitation...

Mayo Medical Laboratories is hosting their Coagulation Testing Quality Conference, Workshop, and Exhibit April 14-17, 2009 at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center Hotel, Minneapolis, MN. The conference is sponsored by Mayo and by the North American Specialized Coagulation Laboratory Association (NASCOLA). Please join us at our exhibit booth adjacent to the Precision BioLogic booth. I look forward to meeting some of our participants. Geo.

Another post from Dana Haas in Houston:

 

I'm almost afraid to post this question, but here goes....

 

For hematology analyzers, there is space to post results from 2 different analyzers (not sure about chemistry), but I've never seen it for coag testing, so the question is...

Does anyone purchase extra PT kits to submit answers for all of their coag analyzers (let's say two large analyzers, plus a backup method like fibrometer) and submit those to CAP?  Even if you can run all of the PT testing off of one kit (which sometimes you can), there's no way to submit the answers for the different analyzers, or am I just missing something? Is it possible to "re-submit" your answers on-line and/or fax and change the analyzers and answers without confusing CAP? (NOTE:  I have not contacted CAP to ask about this. I didn't want to give anybody ideas!!)

 

Any and all opinions are welcome.

 

Dana Haas
St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
Houston, TX 77030

The Midwest Coagulation Hemostasis and Thrombosis Laboratories and Esoterix Coagulation annual Symposium is scheduled for Monday, June 15 and Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at the Westin Hotel, Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. Please mark your calendars for this important annual event. Geo.

The Carolinas Clinical Connection meets March 25-27 at the Kingston Plantation, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Deborah Brock of Tri-County Technical College speaks on ""Help! I am clotting but I don't have a clue what that means!" Wednesday 3-4:30 PM. Dr. Shirlyn McKenzie of the University of Texas Health Science Center discusses "An Update in Hematology," Thursday, 8:30-10, and Dr. Tim Randolph of St. Louis University discusses "Myeloproliferative Disorders" 3-4:30 PM. I will speak Friday morning, 8:30-10 on "Does Aspirin Work? Monitoring Antiplatelet Response." There are several more top-notch presentations. For meeting details, see the attached announcement or contact Michelle.Mantooth@tridenttech.edu.

Click Here for the brochure

I posted an announcement last October (2008) regarding the biennial ISTH meeting in Boston, and just wanted to remind you of the February 28 early registration deadline. I look forward to seeing you in Boston.

Here is a general statement from Col. Lucia More that was posted on Pat Letendre's Medlab-L. Surprisingly, it generated little discussion there. I asked her if we could put it up on Fritsma Factor to see if we could elicit a response. I'd particulary like to learn people's response to the ASCLS Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science initiative.