2001 SERIES ARTICLES

Club Drugs: What’s All the Rave?
By Robert H. Williams, PhD, DABCC
December 2001

Club drugs—a label most commonly associated with Ecstasy, Rohypnol, GHB, ketamine, methamphetamine, and LSD—are increasingly being used by partygoers to produce psychedelic and euphoric experiences. Major changes to parts of the brain can result from abuse of these drugs, and as their use becomes more widespread it is important for laboratorians to become familiar with their chemical characteristics and analytical techniques used to detect them.

Laboratory Information Systems: A Novel Approach for Defining your Laboratory
By Kathryn Francis, MD
November 2001

Optimizing labs with up-to-date information technology can result in reduced costs, improved effectiveness, and a decrease in errors. The first step toward a successful transition to a digital platform is conceptualizing and implementing an effective lab design.

C-Reactive Protein: A New and Strong Predictor of Cardiovascular Disease
By Nader Rifai, PhD, and Paul M. Ridker, MD
October 2001

New evidence has shown that chronic inflammation of the arteries plays a significant role in the development of atherosclerosis, a common cause of coronary heart disease and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. Traditional risk factors, such as elevated serum cholesterol levels, do not accurately predict the occurrence of a coronary event by failing to take into account the role of inflammation. However, recent studies suggest that C-reactive protein is a reliable biomarker of chronic inflammation, and therefore a good indicator of coronary heart disease and possible myocardial infarction.

Strep Throat: Are Rapid Test Results Sufficient for Diagnosis?
By Joseph M. Campos, PhD, DABMM, FAAM
September 2001

Strep throat affects 30 million people per year in the U.S., is the second-leading cause of pediatric office visits, and costs the healthcare system nearly $2 billion. Rapid diagnosis of this disease is important for patient health and comfort, but there are advantages and disadvantages for each of the immunoassays currently available.

Home Health Care: The Next Frontier for Clinical Laboratory Services?
By Craig Lehman, PhD, CC (NRCC), FACB
August 2001

Point-of-care and computer technology are now reaching a point where homebound patients will be able to relay vital signs and other lab tests directly to a physician without ever entering a clinic. Such advancements will dramatically change how healthcare is managed today, and laboratorians are in a unique position to direct how this transition occurs.

Proteomics and Protein Chips: On the Horizon for Clinical Laboratory Testing
By Daniel A. Wettstein, MD, PhD
July 2001

The advent of protein chips allows for the quantification and characterization of many different proteins at one time, which is now allowing scientists to understand what proteins are used in vital organs in both healthy and diseased states. The development of this tool will undoubtedly aid clinicians in the discovery, diagnosis, and treatment of disease in the near future.

Blood Testing: Choosing the Right Specimen
By Jeffrey J. Chance, PhD
July 2001

Blood testing is one of the most essential components of healthcare today, with millions of blood samples collected and tested each day to aid in the diagnosis and monitoring of disease. Choosing the right specimen is critical to delivering appropriate patient care, but various medical and nonmedical factors must be considered in that decision.

Cardiac Troponins: A New Era in Cardiac Testing
By David A. Morrow, MD, and Nader Rifai, PhD
June 2001

Cardiac troponins have the potential to be used as a highly specific biomarker for myocardial injury, due to isoforms that exist are not found in the bloodstream of healthy individuals.

Menopause: A Look at the Growth of Alternatives to Hormonal Replacement Therapy
By Laurence M. Demers, PhD
May 2001

In recent years, many women seeking relief from menopausal symptoms, but concerned about the risks associated with traditional hormone replacement therapy, have turned toward “natural” and other non-prescription therapies as a solution. However, because these alternative medications and supplements are not regulated or tested, concerns regarding their widespread use have been raised within the medical community.

Evaluation of Assay Systems: Cost Effective Solutions for Today’s Clinical Laboratories
By Jay S. Krouwer, PhD
March 2001

Today’s sophisticated assays have improved lab test results, but labs will always have a responsibility to develop processes for evaluating the performance of these systems to ensure accurate reporting. There are several approaches lab managers can follow to cost effectively evaluate their assays and make sure they adhere to established standards.

Pheochromocytoma: Improving Diagnosis with Plasma Free Metanephrines
By Graeme Eisenhofer, PhD; Patricia Sullivan, BS; and Gyorgy Csako, MD
February 2001

Pheochromocytoma is a rare tumor characterized by the excessive production of catecholamines, often resulting in hypertension. Although often cured by surgery, physicians can easily misdiagnosis the cause of hypertension resulting from this tumor as something else. Diagnosis of the tumor continues to be difficult and costly, but testing for free metanephrines by HPLC promises to be more reliable, efficient, and cost-effective.

Evidence-Based Medicine: The Answer Lies in Asking the Right Question
By Robert H. Christenson, PhD, DABCC, FACB
January 2001

Evidence-based medicine means using clinical relevance, critical appraisal, and the evolution of knowledge to fully identify and define a medical question before making a decision. Ultimately, clinical decisions need to be based on the technical and diagnostic performance of technology used, while considering the cost effectiveness and clinical impact.