Showing 7 results for Laboratory
Ncd Ukwandu, Jo Chikwem, Ae Moses, M Jajua, Co Elemuwa, J Okpe, S Lwuanyanwu,
Volume 18, Issue 1 (5-2004)
Abstract
The study has strived to compare the leucocyte-esterase stripe activity on sputum
samples with gram-stained direct smear microscopy. This is for the demonstration of
white blood cells (WBCs) and so to develop a simple method for selecting suitable
sputum samples for cultural examination and laboratory diagnosis.
. A total of 17(34.0%) out of 50 samples studied were shown to be unsuitable for
microbiological examination and for identification of mycobacterial infection. Sputa of
patients between the ages of20-29 years old were found to be more positive by demonstrating
more WBCs and squamous epithelial cells (SECs). We believe this technique
should offer an alternative to the conventional direct smear microscopy used for
examining patient's sputa in our hospital laboratories.
Shahla Bahremand, Yahya Aghighi, Zohreh Oloomi Yazdi, Heshmat Moayeri, Laleh Razavi, Mansour Nateghi,
Volume 18, Issue 4 (11-2005)
Abstract
Wilson's disease is a rare but treatable condition with variable clinical presentations.
Its diagnosis depends on a combination of clinical and laboratory findings. We
evaluated the clinical and laboratory findings in children with Wilson's disease (WD).
Twenty -seven children (4-14 years, 59.2 % male, 40.7% female) with confirmed
WD were evaluated between 1994 and 2003 at Imam Khomeini Hospital.
Seventeen patients (64%) presented with liver abnormalities, 3( 11 %) with neurological
features, 3(11 %) with fulminant hepatic failure and 4(14%) were asymptomatic
siblings of patients with WD. The presence of Kayser Fleischer rings, high urine copper
excretion, low ceruloplasmin level, and elevated liver copper concentration were detected
in 51.8%, 77.7%, 92.5% and 72.7% of patients respectively.
We emphasize on clinical findings together with one or more laboratory findings as
a diagnostic guide in WD and also recommend evaluation of serum ceruloplasmin level
and 24 hour urine copper excretion particularly when liver biopsy may not be obtained.
Pooya Baradaran Motie, Ali Zare-Mirzaie, Nasrin Shayanfar, Maryam Kadivar,
Volume 29, Issue 1 (1-2015)
Abstract
Background: Routine repeat testing of critical laboratory values is very common these days to increase their accuracy and to avoid reporting false or infeasible results. We figure that repeat testing of critical laboratory values has any benefits or not.
Methods : We examined 2233 repeated critical laboratory values in 13 different hematology and chemistry tests including: hemoglobin, white blood cell, platelet, international normalized ratio, partial thromboplastin time, glucose, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, total bilirubin and direct bilirubin. The absolute difference and the percentage of change between the two tests for each critical value were calculated and then compared with the College of American Pathologists/Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments allowable error.
Results : Repeat testing yielded results that were within the allowable error on 2213 of 2233 specimens (99.1%). There was only one outlier (0.2%) in the white blood cell test category, 9 (2.9%) in the platelet test category, 5 (4%) in the partial thromboplastin time test category, 5 (4.8%) in the international normalized ratio test category and none in other test categories.
Conclusion : Routine, repeat testing of critical hemoglobin, white blood cell, platelet, international normalized ratio, partial thromboplastin time, glucose, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, total bilirubin and direct bilirubin results does not have any benefits to increase their accuracy.
Rasoul Yarahmadi, Parvin Moridi, Yarallah Roumiani,
Volume 30, Issue 1 (1-2016)
Abstract
Background: Research project risks are uncertain contingent events or situations that, if transpire, will have positive or negative effects on objectives of a project. The Management of Health and Safety at Work (MHSW) Regulations 1999 require all employers and the self-employed persons to assess the risks from their work on anyone who may be affected by their activities. Risk assessment is the first step in risk-management procedure, and due to its importance, it has been deemed to be a vital process while having a unique place in the research-based management systems.
Methods: In this research, a two-pronged study was carried out. Firstly, health and safety issues were studied and analyzed by means of ISO 14121. Secondly, environmental issues were examined with the aid of Failure Mode and Effect Analysis. Both processes were utilized to determine the risk level independently for each research laboratory and corrective measure priorities in each field (laboratory).
Results: Data analysis showed that the total main and inherent risks in laboratory sites reduced by 38% to 86%. Upon comparing the average risk levels before and after implementing the control and protective actions utilizing risk management approaches which were separate from health, safety and environmental aspects, a highly effective significance (p<0.001) was obtained for inherent risk reduction. Analysis of health, safety and environmental control priorities with the purpose of comparing the ratio of the number of engineering measures to the amount of management ones showed a relatively significant increase.
Conclusion: The large number of engineering measures was attributed to the employment of a variety of time-worn machinery (old technologies) along with using devices without basic protection components.
Majid Reza Khalajzadeh, Mehrzad Kiani, Fariba Borhani, Shabnam Bazmi, Saeid Nazari Tavakkoli, Mahmoud Abbasi,
Volume 33, Issue 1 (2-2019)
Abstract
Background: Ethical attitudes and personal values play a significant role in clinical decision-making; however, they have been given limited attention by professionals in laboratory medicine. Studies suggest that individual attitudes are not static and that professionals learn ethical attitudes through a variety of formal and informal learning methods. This study was conducted to investigate changes in the attitudes of clinical laboratory professionals after teaching them ethics and to compare the results among the 3 groups.
Methods: Four topics were selected in the field of medical laboratory ethics as teaching materials. A questionnaire including 22 items was designed and validated. Teaching sessions for the 3 study groups were held. All 65 clinical laboratory participants completed the questionnaire before and after the classes. Paired t test and ANOVA were used to assess differences among groups.
Results: Significant differences were found in the mean scores of ethical attitudes before and after the educational intervention among the lecture-based teaching group (p=0.016), problem-based learning group (p=0.001), and all participants (p=0.004). However, no significant difference was found between the mean scores before and after the intervention in role-playing group (p=0.623).
Conclusion: Teaching by lecturing and problem-based learning was more effective to change ethical attitude of the laboratory professionals than the role-playing method. Thus, we suggest the implementation of teaching ethics using these methods to improve the ethical attitude of clinical laboratory professionals.
Hashem Jarineshin, Fateme Saljoughi, Hamideh Estabraghnia Babaki, Mehdi Hassaniazad, Masoumeh Kheirandish, Amin Ghanbarnejad, Shahla Sohrabipour,
Volume 35, Issue 1 (1-2021)
Abstract
Background: There is sparse information to describe the clinical features and outcomes of patients infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Methods: In a single-center retrospective observational study, 50 patients infected with COVID-19 were studied. Epidemiological, demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and treatment data were collected and analyzed. Outcomes of critically ill patients and noncritically ill patients were compared.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 48.8 years, with male predominance. Dry cough, fever, and dyspnea were the most complaining symptoms on admission. Chronic medical illnesses before admission were present in 56% of the patients. The most common laboratory abnormalities were lymphopenia, neutrophilia, thrombocytopenia, increased aspartate aminotransferase, high serum creatinine level, elevated lactate dehydrogenase, and increasing ESR and CRP levels. Bilateral mixed ground-glass opacity and consolidation were observed in chest CT scan of most patients. Some patients required supplemental oxygen and some needed invasive mechanical ventilation. Blood oxygen saturation was different between survivors and nonsurvivors. 10% of patients died, of whom 60% were men. 40% of dead cases had chronic medical illnesses; 60% underwent invasive mechanical ventilation.
Conclusion: Among the patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection, the frequent clinical presentation was with a wide range of signs and symptoms. The laboratory changes suggest that COVID-19 infection may be related to cellular immune deficiency, myocardial, hepatic, and kidney injury. Additional research is needed to elucidate COVID-19 pathogenesis.
Alireza Amanollahi, Sahar Sotoodeh Ghorbani, Hamed Basir Ghafouri, Sima Afrashteh, Seyed Saeed Hashemi Nazari,
Volume 35, Issue 1 (1-2021)
Abstract
Background: The unknowingness of COVID-19 compared to other respiratory diseases and gaining an overview of its diagnostic criteria led to this study, which was designed to summarize the signs and symptoms along with the clinical tests that described these patients.
Methods: PubMedMEDLINE, Web of Science, Core Collection, Scopus, and Google Scholar were systematically searched on September 27, 2020. After screening, we selected 56 articles based on clinical characteristics and laboratory and imaging findings in confirmed COVID-19 patients as eligibility criteria. To evaluate risk of bias, the Newcastle Ottawa scale, for publication bias, Egger’s test, and for heterogeneity, I2 and tau test were used; and finally, random-effects models were used for pooled estimation.
Results: Pooled estimates for frequently clinical symptoms were as follows: fever (78% [95% CI, 74-82]), cough (60% [95% CI, 57-63]), and fatigue (31% [95% CI, 26-36]); and they were as follows for laboratory findings in lymphocyte (1.02 [95% CI, 0.92-1.12]), CRP (19.64 [95% CI, 13.96- 25.32]), and platelet count (175.2 [95% CI, 165.2-185.2]); they were as follows for imaging findings in bilateral pneumonia (64% [95% CI, 56-72]), and ground glass opacity (60% [95% CI, 48-7]). Also, in the subgroup analysis, bilateral pneumonia with 18% and fatigue with 15%, had the highest difference in values between the groups.
Conclusion: According to Forest plots, the CI and dispersion among studies were smaller in laboratory findings than in symptom and imaging findings, which might indicate a high alignment in the laboratory findings among studies.
