Utility of slide centrifuge gram's stain versus quantitative culture for diagnosis of urinary tract infection.

The slide centrifuge (cytospin) Gram's-stain technique has been shown in previous studies to be a sensitive technique for detecting bacteriuria when compared to culture. The method concentrates urine sediment in a small defined area on a glass slide for Gram's staining. A positive test provides morphologic information about suspected pathogens.

Lipase and pancreatic amylase activities in tissues and in patients with hyperamylasemia.

Lipase, pancreatic amylase, and total amylase activities were measured in nondiseased and diseased human pancreatic tissues and in six different locations of the human digestive system. In addition, it was determined whether serum lipase and pancreatic amylase tests could replace the total amylase test to improved diagnostic efficiency in the evaluation of acute pancreatitis in hyperamylasemia patients. Nondiseased pancreatic tissue contained 4.

Factitiously high sodium activities on the Ektachem 400 owing to interferences by high gamma-globulin concentrations.

Sera from patients with above-normal gamma-globulin concentrations give sodium values as much as 10% higher when measured in the Kodak Ektachem 400 analyzer than results obtained with the Beckman Astra-8 analyzer. Results obtained with the Astra were in agreement with flame photometry. A similar relative bias was observed for potassium measurement in the Ektachem.