FEATURE ARTICLES

In this article, Serious Hazards of Transfusion laboratory incident specialist Nicola Swarbrick focuses on a specific area of transfusion science haemovigilance practice – incident investigation – that was the topic of a SHOT webinar held last year.

Surface transmission has been identified as an important route of pathogen spread, especially within the healthcare environment. Here, Jade Pallett discusses viral and bacterial transmission and looks at the key issues and evidence.

Accurate diagnosis of GI disease is fundamental for appropriate patient management. Focusing on four common diseases, Carolyne Horner describes how a selection of commercial kits may supplement diagnostic methods and support diagnosis.

As a result of continued research and development, the incidence of death from cancers caused by human papillomavirus infection is falling. Here, Neil Bentley provides an overview and looks at the impact of screening and diagnostic testing.

Later this month, the ICC in Birmingham will host one of the largest gatherings of biomedical and life science companies. This selection of exhibitor previews offers a taste of what visitors may find to interest them on individual stands in the exhibition.

Much has change across the research community over the past two years as a result of the ongoing pandemic. As an example, open-access publishing has been a beneficiary of the need to make the results of research available as quickly as possible.

The biennial IBMS Congress series will return to the ICC in Birmingham in just a few weeks. The focus once again will be on the very best that biomedical science and commercial colleagues have to offer.

The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee and Health and Social Care Committee have published a report, Coronavirus: lessons learned to date. Here is an overview of the key findings of their deliberations.

What is a crisis? According to dictionary definitions it is a time of great difficulty or danger when problems must be solved or important decisions must be made. Here, Robert Hewitt looks specifically at crises affecting biosample sharing.

Since the introduction of Sysmex’s XN-Series in 2011, haematology laboratories have benefitted from its many operational and clinical features. Here, we look at a selection of these benefits and further advances in the field over the coming years.

A look back at the last BSMT Annual Scientific Conference on COVID-19 and in particular at one of the consequences of the pandemic – the increased demand for near-patient testing.

The delayed fourteenth iteration in the biennial Congress series will return to the International Convention Centre in Birmingham next March. Here, Pathology in Practice provides a brief preview of the four-day event.

Extending laboratory reach beyond the hospital works best with the integration of specialised surrounding solutions. Here, in a moderated session, thought-leaders from Sunquest and CliniSys Group explore the benefits of purpose-built technology.

Vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has proved to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer by nearly 90%. Research into all aspects of HPV-related disease continues as the following examples illustrate.

Recent studies have supported a D-dimer assay role in ruling out venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolism, linking it to health technology assessment savings, as Gillian Eyre explains.

Acute respiratory tract infections are a significant burden on healthcare services. Here, Carolyne Horner considers an alternative approach to diagnosis in which a change in human immune response is the focus of detection.

Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection, resulting in the immune system overreacting and the beginning of damage to the body’s own tissues and organs. Here, Charlotte Duncan introduces the latest in point-of-care technology.

Following publication of a report compiled by Roche Diagnostics, three leading experts who contributed to the document discuss the impact that the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had on the industry, the challenges ahead, and their visions for the future.

The coronavirus pandemic has stimulated research effort around the world and has been instrumental in emphasising the importance of open-access peer-reviewed publication. The following examples are all available through PubMed Central (PMC).

Healthcare leaders are calling upon government and health providers to drastically scale-up and improve cancer services in the wake of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This article provides an insight into some of the key recommendations for a recovery.