Studies on the use of BD Vacutainer® SST II™ and RST™ in general practice: investigation of artefactual hyperkalaemia.

Background: Current sampling and transport conditions of samples in general practice can result in pseudohyperkalaemia. This study was undertaken to determine, in a general practice setting, whether there is any difference in haemolysis obtained when using BD Vacutainer® Rapid Serum Tubes (BD RST) compared with using BD Vacutainer® SST™ II Advance Blood Collection Tubes (BD SSTII).

Methods: Blood was collected from 353 patients requiring blood sampling who were attending 31 general practitioner practices in Belgium.

cobas 8000 Modular analyzer series evaluated under routine-like conditions at 14 sites in Australia, Europe, and the United States.

Clinical laboratories need to test patient samples precisely, accurately, and efficiently. The latest member of the Roche cobas modular platform family, the cobas 8000 modular analyzer series allows compact and convenient consolidation of clinical chemistry and immunochemistry assays in high-workload laboratories with a throughput of 3 to 15 million tests annually. Here we present the results of studies designed to test the overall system performance under routine-like conditions that were conducted at 14 laboratories over 2 y.

Clinical pathology services: remapping our strategic itinerary.

Both technological advances and economic drivers have led to major changes in clinical laboratories across the world, with vastly improved testing productivity. However, the production process capability advances have far outpaced the clinical pathologists' success in assuring optimal test utilization and interpretation. While productivity of 'commodity' testing increases, our healthcare value productivity decreases.

Non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis based on a combined analysis of six plasma biomarkers.

Background: Lack of a non-invasive diagnostic test contributes to the long delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis of endometriosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the combined performance of six potential plasma biomarkers in the diagnosis of endometriosis.

Methods: This case-control study was conducted in 294 infertile women, consisting of 93 women with a normal pelvis and 201 women with endometriosis.

Evaluation of the BD Vacutainer PST II blood collection tube for special chemistry analytes.

Background: The performance of the BD Vacutainer PST II Tube for testing of special chemistry analytes was evaluated in comparison to serum and heparin plasma non-gel blood collection tubes. The comparison tubes included the BD Vacutainer Serum Plus Tube, the BD Vacutainer Lithium Heparin Plus Tube, and the BD Vacutainer Lithium Heparin Glass Tube.

Methods: Tubes were drawn by routine venipuncture from 42 subjects according to a randomized draw order.