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William Chopp

General Information

Albumin Testing Update

Albumin Reagent Conversion

Corewell Health Laboratories (formerly Spectrum Health) has utilized the Bromcresol Purple (BCP) method for the measurement of albumin concentration in serum, plasma, and serous body fluids for well over 20 years. The test principle consists of a reaction where the BCP binds selectively with albumin, causing a color change that is measured photometrically. A vast majority of labs across the country, including reference labs such as Mayo Medical Laboratories, utilize an alternative method for albumin measurement that consists of Bromcresol Green (BCG) instead of BCP. To align with the majority of institutions this size, and to be included in a larger peer group for proficiency testing purposes, Corewell Health Laboratories – West, has been transitioning to BCG for the measurement of albumin over the last few weeks. Continue Reading

January 26, 2023 by
Blood Bank, Compliance & Safety, General Information, Hemostasis/Coagulation, Referral/Sendouts, Test Utilization

Coagulation Blue Top Tube Shortage

Update 9/1/2021:

September 1, 2021

There continues to be a global shortage of sodium citrate (“blue top”) blood collection tubes used for coagulation testing as a result of unprecedented demand, in part due to COVID-19 surges, vaccine and treatment development. This was anticipated to last through August 2021, but now, due to continued unprecedented demands, there is no end date in sight. Please take this into consideration when ordering coagulation testing (i.e. Protime, aPTT, Fibrinogen, D-dimer, Lupus Screens, Factor Assays, Mixing Studies, von Willebrand testing, etc.). Continue Reading

June 10, 2021 by
General Information, Toxicology

Test Update: Cystatin C

Effective Wednesday, December 18, 2019, Cystatin C will change from a sendout reference test performed by Mayo Clinic Laboratories to an in-house test performed by Spectrum Health Regional Laboratory. This test will be performed in the Toxicology Laboratory and will include a new reference range (please see link in Test Information below).

Questions may be directed to Toxicology via the “contact us” link above.

TEST INFORMATION

Cystatin C – Epic Code #LAB3226, Interface #11631, CPT #82610

December 17, 2019 by
Education & Training, General Information, Test Utilization

Appropriate Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody Ordering

The most conclusive evidence for using thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO) is predictive in nature when evaluating possible subclinical hypothyroidism. If this test is positive, hypothyroidism occurs at a rate of 4.3% per year versus 2.6% per year when the antibody is negative. While this scenario does not cover all clinical indications for ordering TPO, there is no definitive evidence that repeat TPO testing provides additional information.1

Based on this information the ordering of TPO within Spectrum Health is being modified. If the test is ordered more than once on a patient, a screen will appear in EPIC indicating the following: “This test should typically only be resulted once per lifetime. The duplicate checking indicates that this patient has already had this testing performed. Please see chart review for results.” This is not a “hard stop” but providers will need to click “Continue” to proceed with the order. Continue Reading

December 9, 2019 by