Browsing Tag

Dermatology

Microbiology

Sinus Culture Order Considerations

The management of sinusitis is often aided by bacterial and fungal cultures from which Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and occasionally aerobic Gram-negative bacilli are the most commonly recovered pathogenic organisms. The Corewell Health West Microbiology Lab has several orders available for culturing sinus specimens collected as fluid aspirates, tissue, or swabs. Though more challenging to collect, aspirates are preferred over swab cultures that often grow mixed normal upper respiratory flora for which it is difficult to interpret the clinical significance.

Available Sinus Culture Orders Default Specimen Type Comments
Body Fluid Culture [LAB2111016]

Respiratory Culture [LAB3095]

Tissue Culture [LAB2111173]

 Aspirated fluid

Swabbed collection

Tissue

 For aerobic bacteria
Fungal Culture [LAB240] Aspirated fluid or tissue, preferred

Swabbed collection

 For fungal organisms
Anaerobic Culture [LAB233] Aspirated fluid or tissue* For anaerobic bacteria

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June 30, 2023 by
Chemistry

Reference Range Update: ALT and AST

After consultation with our clinical partners, Spectrum Health West Michigan Laboratory will be adjusting the pediatric reference ranges for our new ALT and AST reagents in an effort to better serve our population.  Numerous academic studies were reviewed, and the values listed below were adopted on August 3, 2022: Continue Reading

August 4, 2022 by
Chemistry, Education & Training, Main lab

Test Update: AST and ALT

Go Live Date delayed to 3/3/2022

Go-Live Date: 3/2/2022

Due to new instrumentation at Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital Laboratory (BIRL) and to standardize across the Spectrum Health system, we will be adopting new tests for AST and ALT. The difference between our current test and this new test is the addition of the co-factor pyridoxal phosphate (Vitamin B6). The new test is the recommended test of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and ultimately will provide our patient population more accurate AST and ALT results. We did not adopt the new test in the past because it came with logistical and stability issues that made its use in the lab difficult. The new instrumentation we obtained has solved some of these concerns.

Historically, if patients had a Vitamin B6 deficiency, their AST and ALT levels may have been falsely lower than the true values. This decrease was due to the lack of endogenous co-factor causing a slower reaction rate when we tested the patient sample. After we implement the new test across the system, you may notice an increase in your patient’s AST and ALT results. This increase may be evidence that your patient had some degree of Vitamin B6 deficiency. If you were trending results, we recommend you establish a new baseline with the new test versions. The lab has been changed slightly in EPIC to prevent trending between the two test versions, since the results may not be able to be correlated if your patient had a Vitamin B6 deficiency. Continue Reading

January 19, 2022 by
Chemistry, General Information

Test Update: Thyroglobulin Antibody

Effective immediately, Thyroglobulin Antibody will be performed at Spectrum Health Reference Laboratory (SHRL, Grand Rapids, MI) and will no longer be a sendout to Mayo Clinical Laboratories. Collection instructions and other information may have changed, please visit the lab catalog for more information.

Thyroglobulin Tumor Marker will continue to be a sendout. If a Thyroglobulin Antibody is ordered with a Thyroglobulin Tumor Marker, then the Thyroglobulin Antibody will automatically be canceled as Mayo Clinic Laboratories will perform the Thyroglobulin Antibody as well as the Tumor Marker.

For questions and inquiries, please use the “Contact Us” link above.

 

TEST INFORMATION

New test: Thyroglobulin Antibody [LAB1230840] 

Former test: Thyroglobulin Antibody, Serum [LAB1230457]

Mentioned Test: Thyroglobulin, Tumor Marker, Serum [LAB864]

November 18, 2021 by
General Information, Immunochemistry

Immunochemistry ANA (Antinuclear Antibodies) Testing Name Update

Effective April 22nd, 2020, the following ANA (Antinuclear Antibodies) Tests’ name will be updated.  The change in naming convention comes in hopes of enhancing proper test utilization.  This update includes only the name change with no changes in laboratory testing workflow.

Old Test Name New Test Name Test Code Clinical Utility
ANA (Antinuclear Antibodies) Screen, Double Reflex to ANA IFA Hep2 Titer and Pattern, and if positive to ANA antibodies ANA screen LAB1230491 Preferred initial ANA screen for autoimmune connective tissue diseases.
ANA (Antinuclear Antibodies), Hep2 Substrate IFA with reflex to Titer and Pattern if positive IFA ANA (Rheumatology)

 

 LAB3540 Preferred confirmatory ANA test for autoimmune connective tissue diseases.  With ordering recommendations for rheumatology only.
April 22, 2020 by