UncategorizedBlood tests may spare cancer patients chemo

Blood tests may spare cancer patients chemo

A blood test which can detect traces of cancer cells could spare thousands of patients unnecessary chemotherapy every year. A major bowel cancer trial is examining whether the test can show if surgery has removed all of the tumour. Doctors say half of patients with stage 3 bowel cancer are cured by surgery alone so …

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Lab furniture design for health and hygiene

Unlike cleanrooms, many laboratories aren’t ISO 14644 registered when it comes to air particle count. Sue Springett discusses why any organisation that purports to foster a hygienic culture should be asking the question: ‘how clean is my lab space, really?’ From hidden areas that are hard to access for cleaning to dangerous dirt traps that provide a …

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Pre-Analytical Variation

The Leading Cause of Error in Laboratory Medicine In a recent report, researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore made headlines when they estimated that medical error is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. (1). While patient safety remains a struggle in many areas of healthcare, laboratory medicine has …

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How to minimise the risk of cross-contamination in laboratories

Cross-contamination is a major concern for any laboratory and can lead to false and inaccurate results. Andrew Powers discusses how to mitigate the risk of potential time and resource losses due to contamination during sample and equipment relocation. Laboratories can be crowded spaces with workers often sharing assets and facilities and high traffic areas where there is …