The band count imprecision - a Croatian multicentric pilot study.

Introduction: Due to high inter-observer variability the 2015 International Council for Standardization in Haematology (ICSH) recommendations state to count band neutrophils as segmented neutrophils in the white blood cell (WBC) differential. However, the inclusion of bands as a separate cell entity within the WBC differential is still widely used in hematology laboratories in Croatia. The aim of this multicentric study was to assess the degree of inter-observer variability in enumerating band neutrophils within the WBC differential among Croatian laboratories.

Plasma Drug Values of DOACs in Patients Presenting with Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Prospective Observational Study.

: Anticoagulants are a well-known risk factor for gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). In recent years, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have taken a leading role in the treatment and prevention of thromboembolic incidents. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of DOAC-treated patients with GIB whose plasma drug concentrations exceeded the cut-off values reported in the literature and to evaluate their clinical characteristics.

Laboratory medicine in pandemic of COVID-19.

After the outbreak in China in the year 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) quickly spread around the world causing a protracted pandemic. Approximately one-third of infections appear to be asymptomatic. Symptomatic disease is characterized primarily by symptoms of respiratory tract infection of varying severity.

Reporting of activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT): Could we achieve better comparability of the results?

Introduction: Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) is determined and reported as clotting time in seconds aPTT(s), but it is presumed that reporting results as patient-to-normal clotting time ratio, aPTT(r), could minimize within-laboratory variability. The aim of study was to investigate differences in reporting aPTT results that can affect comparability of the results among Croatian laboratories and suggest further steps for its harmonization.

Materials And Methods: The questionnaire on aPTT reporting practice was distributed to 83 laboratories through Survey Monkey application in March 2019 as the part of the first regular round of Croatian Centre for Quality Assessment in Laboratory Medicine proficiency testing.

How well do Croatian laboratories adhere to national recommendations for laboratory diagnostics of chronic kidney disease (CKD)?

Background In 2014, the Joint Croatian Working Group (JCWG) for laboratory diagnostic of chronic kidney disease (CKD) conducted a survey across medical-biochemistry laboratories which demonstrated a large heterogeneity in this area of laboratory medicine. To ensure the tools for the standardization process, in 2017 the JCWG-CKD published the first Croatian recommendations for laboratory diagnostics of CKD. To assess the implementation process, we have repeated a survey to explore how well laboratories adhere to the recommendations.

The role of laboratory testing in detection and classification of chronic kidney disease: national recommendations.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common clinical condition with significant adverse consequences for the patient and it is recognized as a significant public health problem. The role of laboratory medicine in diagnosis and management of CKD is of great importance: the diagnosis and staging are based on estimation of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and assessment of albuminuria (or proteinuria). Therefore, the joint working group of the Croatian society of medical biochemistry and laboratory medicine and Croatian chamber of medical biochemists for laboratory diagnostics in CKD issued this national recommendation regarding laboratory diagnostics of CKD.