FEATURE ARTICLES

According to current popular fiction, forensic science can provide the answer to virtually any question. However, what is not apparent in television programmes such as CSI is the lengths to which commercial companies, such as Thermo Scientific, go to help minimise the problem of cross-contamination.

Recently, Siemens Medical Solutions acquired Bayer HealthcareÆs Diagnostics Division and Diagnostic Products Corporation to create Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics. The new companyÆs combined expertise in laboratory diagnostics and clinical information technology has proved beneficial for laboratories at St GeorgeÆs Hospital, London, and the Christie Hospital in Manchester.

Following the withdrawal of several phenol-based disinfectants, TeknonÆs product Biocleanse stepped into the breach and demonstrated broad-spectrum efficacy.

Currently, antibiotic resistance is a major issue, particularly in the hospital setting, and susceptibility testing plays a vital role in monitoring this problem. OxoidÆs recently introduced simple, precise and easy-to-implement MIC strip system should help.

Monitoring short-term cell growth in culture and biofermentation assays is notoriously inaccurate and slow using conventional laboratory techniques. However, introduction of the VoluPAC tube has resulted in increased reliability and precision, as Martin Jordan, Matthieu Stettler and Florian Wurm explain.

The haematology service across two large Sheffield hospitals is supported by a laboratory informatics system from Beckman Coulter. This Yorkshire facility now represents the largest Remisol set-up in Europe and contributes to cutting-edge biomedical science at its best.

Advanced laboratory information management and order communications are part of the new pathology computer environment being implemented at hospitals in the West Midlands. Here, pathology IT manager Richard Humphrey comments on the utility of an EU-compliant platform.

The second anniversary of the devastating Asian tsunami saw the return of a popular television programme to a peak-time viewing slot and also a donation to a worthy cause from CellPath, a Welsh medical supplies company.

All new and current members of NHS staff are required to receive training in infection prevention, and a new online learning initiative, designed to combat the spread of hospitalacquired infection, has proved to be remarkably successful.

Ever-increasing workload stretches resources in pathology, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the pre-analytical phase of laboratory work. However, Plumtree can offer biomedical scientists a range of innovative solutions.

Fully automated electrophoretic analysis of proteins in serum, urine and cerebrospinal fluid, and the characterisation of haemoglobinopathies is now available using the Interlab Microgel system available from Launch Diagnostics. Brian Murphy explains.

Increasingly, new parents across Europe are turning to storage of stem cells from umbilical cord blood as a safeguard against their childrensÆ potential future health problems. Now, the logistics of cell collection and storage are aided by internet services.

Computer technology has supported the work of pathology for longer than that of any other healthcare group, yet Connecting for Health appears to have forgotten about this vital area of medicine. Here, Jem Rashbass puts forward the case for an appropriately resourced pathology IT programme.

Confocal imaging may not be found in every cellular pathology laboratory but a new system from Image Solutions is easy to use, allows the use of virtually any fluorescence probe and fits all existing microscopes.

With the passage of an unseasonably mild autumn and the onset of winter, thoughts turn to what infections the dormant season has in store for the susceptible among us. Viral infections are high on the list of things of which to be wary, and laboratories, with a little help from Oxoid, must be as vigilant as ever in an attempt to identify these agents promptly.

The battle against healthcare-acquired infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and extended spectrum ▀-lactamase-producing organisms continues with a need for high-level leadership and support, the Infection Control Nurses Association Conference, held recently in Brighton, was told. A comprehensive report of the proceedings follows.

Bacterial sepsis is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, particularly in preterm babies. Can a new rapid cytokine test improve diagnosis over use of C-reactive protein alone and help reduce unnecessary antibiotic use?

Increasingly, workflow efficiency is seen as the way forward in dealing with ever-expanding workload, and tracks linking individual analysers are becoming a more common sight in the laboratory. Here, biomedical scientists from Basingstoke in Hampshire share their experiences of a very successful implementation.

A trial last year of three chromogenic MRSA media and oxacillin resistance screening agar in Nottingham has led to significant improvements in the detection of this nosocomial pathogen. Here, infection control biomedical scientist Ros Montgomery describes the testing process and the advantages gain in patient care.

Introduction of a rapid test for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has had a dramatic impact on several specialties in a district general hospital. The result has been a close working relationship between laboratory and infection control staff, and important benefits to patient and hospital alike.