FEATURE ARTICLES

Current infection control focus is on surgical site infection and how it can be minimised. Here, James Beaves explains how cutting-edge products from Oxoid have an important role to play. Despite appropriate pre-and post-operative decontamination practices and implementation of infection prevention and control techniques in theatre, surgical site infections (SSIs) are the second most common type of adverse event occurring in hospitalised patients.

Ever since the Institute organised its first scientific meeting over 80 years ago, input from the commercial sector has always played a vital role in success, and last year’s Biomedical Science Congress was no exception.

Sterilin has set world standards for quality, reliability and user safety in the field of single-use laboratory plastics for the past 50 years. Now it leads the way by being the first to offer a range of 95 kPa-validated disposable containers for the transportation of clinical specimens. Sian Hayman tells us more. With more and more biological samples being transported through normal mailing systems, using different forms of transportation (from bikes to aeroplanes), the containers used to carry these samples are subject to increasingly tighter transport regulations. The requirements can vary depending on the mode of transport and the classification of samples.

In the wake of recent developments in the area of nurse prescribing of blood components, Pathology in Practice recently talked to two leading nurse professionals at the forefront of this initiative. At last year’s British Blood Transfusion Society (BBTS) Annual Scientific Meeting in Manchester, Liz Pirie and Jan Green launched the much-awaited framework document outlining guidance for nurses and midwives wishing to extend their role to prescribe blood components for transfusion.

Bone histopathology presents a challenge to both tissue processing and diagnosis, but the Excelsior ES from Thermo Fisher Scientific has set new standards for efficiency and performance at one of the UK’s premier orthopaedic facilities.

Rapidly evolving changes in pathology configurations require ongoing support, training and education. This is where Siemens Academy Training and Education Centre, which opened towards the end of last year, can help hard-pressed laboratory staff. The move towards the commercialisation of pathology, coupled with an increase in diagnostic testing and technologies, has placed more pressure on laboratories to reconfigure services for efficiency and quality.

Significant advances in immunohistochemical technique made over the past four decades have revolutionised surgical pathology practice. Now, the latest automated immunostainer from Menarini is set to enhance the service provided to clinicians and patients alike.

High throughput and full serum work area capability are just two of the advantages that the latest Roche equipment has brought to two hospitals in the south-west of England. Southmead Hospital in Bristol and Poole General Hospital on England’s south coast have both benefited recently from installation of Roche’s latest modular analyser, the cobas 8000. The combination of cutting-edge equipment, commercial expertise and dedicated laboratory personnel has had a big impact on the services offered by these two high-quality healthcare facilities.

The QIAsymphony AS from Qiagen has extended the company’s range of high-quality assay and detection solutions. This new module in the QIAsymphony series provides fully automated set up of Qiagen assays and polymerase chain reaction PCR kits and combines its experience in sample and assay technologies on a single platform.

In sub-Saharan Africa, turnaround time for CD4 lymphocyte count results is an important but often missing factor in the use and monitoring of effective antiviral therapy, as Grace Kahenya explains.

Increased demand for sexually transmitted disease testing as a result of the implementation of national screening programmes can now be accommodated thanks to a new, fully automated molecular biology instrument from Roche.

In December 2009, the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) published a standardised European disc-diffusion test method. Amanda Appleton liaised closely with the EUCAST committee during this time and, here, explains what this means for laboratories across Europe.

Feather disposable microtome blades have a reputation for high quality and now represent the global gold standard in microtomy. Here, Sue Wollington talks about history, production and how users can get the best performance from their disposable blades.

Despite launch of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme in 2003, levels of testing in the high-risk group are not sufficiently high to reduce the prevalence of this infection. Here, Rachel Adams considers the problem and how the latest sampling technology can help.

The recent joint meeting of UK NEQAS (BTLP) and the BBTS Blood Bank Technology SIG provided transfusion professionals with an opportunity to examine their role in improving clinical outcomes in the wider healthcare community. Pathology in Practice reports.

A public-private collaboration between the Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust and Beckman Coulter has provided value for money and a quality of service second to none. The Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust comprises two specialist hospitals that provide treatment for people with heart and lung disease. They are recognised worldwide for their expertise, standard of care and research success. Health and social care regulator the Care Quality Commission recently awarded the trust the highest possible rating of ‘excellent’ for its “exceptional performance and innovation”.

A recent seminar organised by Sebia UK highlighted current trends in electrophoresis testing and examined its clinical utility in specific diagnostic applications. The event brought together clinical specialists, industry experts and biomedical scientists at historic Royal Holloway, University of London.

Plasma viscosity testing emerged in the early 1970s following pioneering work by Jock Harkness in Taunton. Now, the haematology at Musgrove Park boasts the very latest in viscosity instrumentation.

A cutting-edge imaging system is being used in Manchester to investigate the links between structure and function in mammalian cells, and, in particular, the regulation of cell division.

The Analyser Monitoring Programme, managed by the Guildford Medical device Evaluation Centre, has been growing steadily since 2005, and provides UK laboratories with invaluable information to aid major analyser purchasing decisions.