The American journal of medical technology最新文献

A new method for satisfactorily removing the formalin pigment from microscopic tissue sections is reported. The method requires a relatively short period of time and will not alter the staining quality of the section.

The use of long-range planning techniques is essential if health care organizations are to survive. The regulatory and competitive forces that exist right now are likely to become even stronger in the future. It is important to remember that these forces represent opportunities as well as risks. Health care organizations can best resolve the conflicts that exist by using the strategic planning process to identify alternate voluntary means to achieve the same goals.

Vitamin E refers to a family of fat-soluble phenolic compounds called tocopherols, which have been established as essential nutrients in vertebrates. In animals the deficiency state has resulted in diminished reproductive capabilities, muscular dystrophy, exudative diathesis, megaloblastosis, gastrointestinal and pulmonary degeneration, and nephrosis. In humans with low vitamin E levels a subclinical diminished erythrocyte life-span has been demonstrated by hydrogen peroxide hemolysis test. This effect may have clinical significance among premature infants. The metabolic function of vitamin E appears to be as a scavenger of lipid peroxides and free oxygen radicals which enter into chain reactions to cause breakdown of lipids. Normal levels of the vitamin serve to prevent this cellular oxidative breakdown. Laboratory measurement of vitamin E is chromatographic, with HPLC presently used in both research and clinical applications. The association between vitamin E levels and hemolytic anemia in humans is currently under investigation.

Much has been learned in the past 10 years about the mechanism of action of coumarin anticoagulants and the role of vitamin K in the production of functional clotting factors. This paper reviews the mechanism for post-ribosomal modification of precursor proteins into functional clotting factors, the therapeutic uses of vitamin K, pharmacologic and therapeutic uses of vitamin K antagonists, and the current means of testing for vitamin K antagonism. In addition, information concerning newly discovered vitamin K-dependent proteins in other tissues and pathologic processing is discussed.

Vitamin A refers collectively to a number of compounds, the most biologically active of which is retinol. Named after its earliest discovered function, visual excitation, retinol is also needed for growth and reproduction, and differentiation of epithelial tissue. A closely related form, retinoic acid, has selective biologic activity for normal growth and epithelial differentiation. The term retinoids has been used in recent years to include both natural and synthetic analogs of vitamin A. Carotene and carotenoids refer to vitamin A precursors (pro-vitamins) of vegetable origin. Following a brief historical account of vitamin A and description of dietary information this article focuses on the chemistry and physiology of retinoids. The biological roles of vitamin A compounds are elaborated, as well as the clinical significance of vitamin A deficiency and excess. Discussion of retinoids in therapy includes their use as anti-cancer agents and as therapeutics for dermatological disorders. Finally, a review of analytical techniques for laboratory assessment of vitamin A is presented.

There is no exact or perfect method of establishing a variable budgeting system. What needs to be done is to design a system that best fits the needs of your own particular situation. Meet with your supervisory staff. Agree which costs should be considered fixed, which are to be considered step-variable. Once this is accomplished, design your management reports to accommodate the desired results. Certainly, the variable budget concept will provide laboratory management with a more realistic report for cost control and departmental performance analysis.

This paper explores in detail three automated systems for microbial identification and susceptibility testing: Autobac, MS-2, and the AutoMicrobic System (AMS). The systems' workings and their capabilities are described. A similar approach is taken with four automated microtiter systems: Sensititre, Sceptor, Micro-Coder II, and Micro Scan. Two new systems are described: the API UniScept System, and the COBAS (which is not yet on the market).

Non-01 Vibrio cholerae gastroenteritis has been reported in the literature in association with foreign travel, or seafood ingestion, particularly raw shellfish harvested from warm-water climates. Non-01 V. cholerae gastroenteritis has not been reported before from New England. The case presented describes a previously healthy female who developed non-01 V. cholerae gastroenteritis approximately 26 hours after ingestion of raw cherrystone clams.

It seems like a long way from the early work of Pasteur and Koch to the automated microbiology laboratory of today. But every advance rests on a knowledge base gleaned from past work; and to understand where we are today, it is necessary to know how we got there. This paper explores the historical roots of current microbiology technology.