FEATURE ARTICLES

The blood culture pathway is often thought of as a relatively straightforward one; sample to laboratory and result to clinician but, in reality, is a complex network of multidisciplinary stakeholders that is dependent on timely interventions and limited by availability of services and diagnostic tools, says Kate Donnachie.

For NHS Trusts and healthcare bodies across Europe, making the move to digital pathology has been a huge undertaking, but there is still much to learn. There’s a risk that planning ahead, especially with a view to the size and type of storage required, could be forgotten about as purchasers look to get the best short-term deals, says Imogen Fitt.

In diagnostic testing errors can occur at any stage of testing, with pre-analytical interference from haemolysis, icterus, and lipaemia (HIL) being particularly common. HIL interference can lead to inaccurate results and is therefore a major concern for clinical laboratories. Jason Armstrong explores the causes and effects of HIL interference and discuss strategies for its detection and mitigation in clinical laboratory analysis.

The UK is currently in the midst of ongoing changes to the regulation of medical devices and IVDs, with significant potential impact on pathology professionals. This is a complex overhaul with different aspects being introduced over the coming years. The next step in this process has now been communicated and it’s changed things up, explains BIVDA’s Ashleigh Batchen.

Digital pathology has been embraced by cellular pathology; but laboratories need to think beyond just a scanner and storage, explains Jake Morrow. To be fully utilised the new technology needs to be backed up with laboratory information systems with enhanced features to help drive quality workflow and support clinical integrated reporting.

Fibrinogen is an essential part of the blood clotting process, and testing aids decision-making in critical care situations, notably post-partum haemorrhage. A novel POCT device now brings this to near-patient settings, but, for such a vital test, accuracy and quality control are key, as Pathology in Practice explains.

The British Society for Microbial Technology held its 38th Annual Microbiology Conference at the RAF Museum in Hendon, London, on 11 May, focusing on current infection issues facing laboratories and clinicians. Here, Dr Mark Wilks, Chair of the BSMT (pictured), and others on the committee, offer a review of the day’s proceedings.

The increasing incidence of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales is an imminent public health concern. Here, Terry Whalley highlights the importance of raising awareness of this among decision-makers in a healthcare environment, and discusses how practical and implementable screening could help trusts stay one step ahead of this global threat.

The latest in Thornhill Healthcare Events’ series of conferences on point-of-care testing took place at the end of March in Nottingham. Once again a wide variety of speakers had been gathered to share their experiences of using near-patient diagnostics within the modern NHS with an engaged audience made up of healthcare professionals from across the health service. Pathology in Practice reports on the day’s presentations.

James Beckett explains how the use of molecular point-of-care testing (POCT) has seen exponential growth in recent years, from its hospital-based origins to its widespread community use for detection of infections, sexual health screening and, more recently, respiratory disease diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Testing for oestradiol is a crucial first step in the time-sensitive IVF process. Detailed here are the steps a French-based laboratory was able to take to automate this previously time-consuming and labour-intensive task safely and effectively, while still meeting important deadlines.

Current challenges within sepsis diagnostics and AMR show the need for a standardised blood culture pathway. Stefan Schraag explores how the med tech industry can support this through greater education and innovation. This article follows on from a stakeholder event taking a holistic view of the blood culture pathway and encouraging diagnostic integration beyond the walls of laboratories.

Relics of ancient viruses, endogenous retroviruses that can be found in human DNA, have recently found exposure in the media. But what range of applications can be found in the recent literature? Here, Pathology in Practice Science Editor Brian Nation compiles a small selection of current research interest in the field.

In the second of two articles for Pathology in Practice, retired biomedical scientist David Norcliffe, with David Manuel, looks at how clinical viscosity testing can be used more widely, with the measurement of viscosity having a considerable number of possible applications which are receiving further investigation.

The biennial IBMS Congress will return to the International Convention Centre in Birmingham in September, the focus once again being on the very best that biomedical science and commercial colleagues have to offer. Here, Pathology in Practice provides a further brief preview of the four-day event.

In order to cope with the challenges of the future, it is critical to optimise diagnostic services and enable faster and earlier testing. Here, Tracey Sainsbury discusses the key challenges and opportunities that lay ahead for this vital area of healthcare.

With laboratories turning to technology and automation to meet the challenges of rising workloads and shrinking budgets, equipment supplier BD has recently created its Integrated Diagnostic Solutions (IDS) division, which has consolidated the firm’s workflow optimisation services. Here, BD Professional Services explains how this is being achieved and the laboratory staff at Liverpool Clinical Laboratories share their experiences.

Developments in lateral-flow assay technology have been highlighted by its ubiquitous use during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, but its utility covers a much wider spectrum of applications. Here, Pathology in Practice Science Editor Brian Nation compiles a small selection of current research activity in the field.

In just a few months the biennial IBMS Congress will return to the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. The focus once again will be on the very best that biomedical science and those supporting the scientific programme have to offer. To illustrate this, Pathology in Practice focuses on a small selection of topics and their respective speaker biographies.

Graham Johnson discusses how gastroenterology has changed over the past 20 years. He looks at how non-invasive diagnostic testing, prior to endoscopy, could provide a solution to earlier detection and better outcomes for upper gastrointestinal disorders.