generalist – Page 24

The Lonely Life of a Clinical Pathologist: Rounding with the Clinical Care Team

A recent article in Critical Values by Dr. H. Cliff Sullivan (Claiming Our Seat at the Cool Kid’s Table: A Rallying Call to Pathologists) discussed how pathologists can be a part of the clinical care team but it is a hard job to complete when we are isolated to our offices or laboratories. One of the recommendations by Dr. Sullivan was to engage fellow clinicians in whatever way we can as pathologists. For this blog post I want to talk about one task in particular that has allowed me to be involved with clinicians: clinical Rounding.

When I first started my job, the most senior pathologist and critical care chair asked that I round in the intensive care unit once a week with the clinical team, consisting of nurses, mid-level providers, residents, pharmacists, and attendings . I am sure my face conveyed my baffled thoughts: what could I offer by rounding in the ICU and more importantly, how will I have time for that? However, being a new pathologist, who was I to say no to my boss and the ICU chair? I might be bold on occasion, but not that bold. The first day I arrived for rounds (still wondering what I would be doing, hoping they would not ask a question I did not know the answer to) a question came up about a susceptibility report: the mid-level provider did not understand how an isolate could be resistant to piperacillin but susceptible to piperacillin/tazobactam. It was a perfect way to impart pathology knowledge to the clinical team. As I continued to round on a weekly basis, question after question would come up – what does it mean if an HSV PCR is negative in a cerebrospinal fluid; why are peripheral smears not reported out at certain times; what does this new LIS Sunquest do differently and why is it so slow; what do you think about an alpha-fetoprotein level of 27; what is the mechanism of ADEM? These questions were sometimes very easy to answer and at other times I needed to do more investigation. In addition to answering questions on rounds, these times spent in the ICU have built up relationships; it puts a face on the name of the laboratory and has allowed the team members to reach out to me on different occasions even when I am not “rounding.”

Over the past year I have found that this one undertaking that I was so uncertain of how I could contribute to has now been one of the constant reminders of why I chose clinical pathology as a profession. While these clinical team members might not understand what I do on a daily basis, they all have one goal in mind: providing the best patient care. I like the role of being a consultant and being able to contribute to medical discussions and I have always known that laboratory results can define patient care but attending these rounds has given me first-hand experiences of how the laboratory truly affects patient care. It has been apparent through these interactions how important it is to have someone involved on the patient care team that understands the laboratory and can shed light about why the assay the provider wants to run may or may not be appropriate or why interpreting specific test results based off other confounding factors is so vital. While being a clinical pathologist may be lonely in the fact few people perform my exact job, however being involved with the clinical care team absolves that loneliness and has reminded me that each role has their place in medicine.

Now to hear from you – how do you interact with clinicians outside of the lab? Have you found a way to round with other interdisciplinary teams and if so, what has been the best approach?

Thanks for reading!

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-Lori Racsa, DO, is the director of microbiology, immunology, and chemistry at Unity Point Health Methodist, and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine at Peoria. While microbiology is her passion, has a keen interest in getting the laboratory involved as a key component of an interdisciplinary patient care team.

Challenges in Transgender Healthcare

Transgender healthcare is a topic that doesn’t get a lot of attention. Healthcare providers receive little to no formal training in this area, and this population is one of the most under served groups in the United States. The authors of the recent Lab Medicine paper Challenges in Transgender Healthcare: The Pathology Perspective wrote a blog on this topic for Oxford University Press. Check out obstacles in transgender healthcare to learn some of the issues providers and patients face.

The Lonely Life of a Clinical Pathologist: Rounding in the Lab

As I mentioned last month, a big part of my job has been to do daily rounds through the lab to seek out areas that need troubleshooting. One point I noticed was technologists don’t always see the impact of their work on patient care. I wanted to make sure they knew the importance of their work so I decided to incorporate education as a tool to highlight how their work directly affects patient care. Each section of the laboratory has their own ways of communicating so I have done something a little different in both labs.

In the microbiology section, I started a weekly “formal” microbiology rounds with the infectious disease doctors, the pharmacists, and the technologists. While I saw this rounding at both of my training institutions, there were held in different styles. In one, the infectious disease team rounded through the lab and asked the techs questions about their patients; in the other, the team discussed interesting case around a microscope. I decided to take a combined approach: we meet in the lab at the microscope so the techs can work if needed yet still be a part of the discussion. The techs save interesting cases that have come up over the last week or so and we show the rest of the team. It usually involves discussing organism identification methods as well as the disease process associated with the organism. This has given the techs the chance to ask the physicians and pharmacists questions about the patient isolates they have worked on directly. In addition, it has given them the opportunity to ask why physicians order certain tests. The pharmacists have added so much to these rounds and it has been nice to see a collaborative effort between multiple areas of the patient care team come together and talk about why things are done and the outcome of the patient based on laboratory results. It demonstrates to everyone that each member of team is passionate about patient care. In order to bring some of this knowledge to the second shift staff that performs microbiology processing, I save one or two interesting cases from rounds and present a quick rundown of what the bug is and how it is identified in the lab so they can see how their work is completed the next day.

For chemistry and immunology, the laboratory team has a monthly meeting. At each of these meetings, I run through a formal case presentation based off interesting cases the techs have come across or have had questions on specific disease processes related to the laboratory work they are performing. The topics have ranged from beer potamania (that got a lot of discussion!) to what polymerase chain reaction is. It has been another approach to show the technologists how their work directly impacts patient care and they have really enjoyed it. The goal is to bring clinicians into these discussions, as well, but that has not been as easy for these meetings. We have been able to bring a pharmacist in to discuss vancomycin trough levels and why draw times are so specific. It really helps having other departments reach out to the laboratory staff to let them see why policies are structured the way they are.

I really enjoy being in the lab and interacting with the technologists, however, one of the principal lessons I have learned this year is how important it is to get out of the laboratory as a clinical pathologist. The next couple of months I will talk about how I have gotten involved in other areas of the hospital. But for now, let’s hear from you, do you have any formal rounding or education that you offer your techs? What ideas have had the best responses from the technologists? I am looking forward to hearing more ideas on how to integrate education and interdisciplinary teamwork for our laboratory staff.

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-Lori Racsa, DO, is the director of microbiology, immunology, and chemistry at Unity Point Health Methodist, and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine at Peoria. While microbiology is her passion, she has a keen interest in getting the laboratory involved as a key component of an interdisciplinary patient care team.

Perspectives on Lab Safety

I attended a work shop where different people were allowed to express their views on life from their generation’s perspective. One group representative said that members of the “Millennials” generation often acted as if entitled to things in life and don’t feel as if they have to work for it. A Millennial representative spoke up. She said that she did not feel entitled, but felt a victim of broken promises. She watched the generation before her live the good life- go to school, get a job, get married, buy a house, etc. – and now she was done with school, full of debt and still living at home. The economy and the world had changed, and the life she hoped for was not the one she now faced. Listening to a different perspective was truly eye-opening, and it reminded me about an important aspect of lab safety coaching.

In conversations with long-term lab safety professionals (or those lab managers, POCT supervisors and others who share the lab safety role), I often hear about the constant frustrations with lab safety compliance. Staff does not wear PPE, they don’t follow safe work practices, or they don’t think about chemical or bloodborne pathogen safety. Some who oversee lab safety have become so frustrated that they have given up on coaching or talking to the people they are assigned to keep safe. That is most definitely an incorrect approach, and if you find yourself in that situation, it may be necessary to take a step back, look in the mirror, and notice that the problem could be you.

That’s not meant to sound accusatory, but if your lab is suffering from a poor safety culture, the best place to begin with a solution is in your head, and understanding that can be powerful. First, remember that each time you are in the laboratory and you see a safety issue that you ignore, you are seriously damaging the culture. Few are scrutinized more than those who manage the safety program in the lab, and if ignoring safety regulations is witnessed by staff, they will know how unimportant safety is in the department, and they will act accordingly. If you are burned out from years of battling the culture, it may be time for someone else to enter the safety role so that the culture is not damaged further.

Next, if you plan to remain the safety role, it may be time to examine your approach to staff. Instead of becoming frustrated with people when the need to coach arises, try to change your perspective. How a safety coaching episode will play out is largely determined by what you (the coach) are thinking as you approach the situation. It is important to remember that each time a staff member does not act in a way you wish or expect as it relates to safety, there are several possible reasons or influences on the situation, and all should be considered before acting.

Janet is in chemistry handling specimens without gloves. This alone could generate a range of negative feelings when you see this- anger, frustration, or even apathy. What are the possibilities? She was not trained properly, there are no gloves that fit her, she is having a reaction to gloves and is embarrassed to confess it, or gloves are kept in the store room and she doesn’t know the door combination. Any of these scenarios and more is possible. Your emotions about the situation are real, they can result from a broken promise (you’ve spoken to Janet before), judgement (she’s not a stellar tech anyway), or failed expectations (you recommended she be hired). However, you should not act on those emotions; there is little chance the coaching will go well. Approach Janet with a question that will start a reasonable, two-way conversation. “Hi, Janet. I notice you aren’t wearing gloves. What size can I get you?” Or “Janet, I see you are handling samples with no gloves and that is dangerous. Can you tell me why?” If this is a repeat situation, put the ball in Janet’s court. “Janet, we discussed glove use last week, but you are not wearing them. You told me you would. What’s going on?” Now the focus is on the important issue for you, Janet’s broken promise. The answer may help you understand her behavior, and help you to rectify the situation permanently. Remember to use a soft approach and a civil tone. Otherwise, the work of your thought-out coaching will be for naught.

Everyone has their own perspective. That in no way excuses all behaviors, especially failing to follow lab safety guidelines, but understanding a perspective will go far in helping you succeed with coaching those bad behaviors when needed. Think first, always act, and be the safety role model you need to be for your department. Those are the powerful steps to a strong lab safety culture.

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-Dan Scungio, MT(ASCP), SLS, CQA (ASQ) has over 25 years experience as a certified medical technologist. Today he is the Laboratory Safety Officer for Sentara Healthcare, a system of seven hospitals and over 20 laboratories and draw sites in the Tidewater area of Virginia. He is also known as Dan the Lab Safety Man, a lab safety consultant, educator, and trainer.

Elizabeth Holmes Presents New Technology at AACC2016

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the Theranos presentation at the AACC 2016 meeting in Philadelphia. While several outlets have already reported on it (Wired did a particularly good job with their write-up), I wanted to give a few of my thoughts as a laboratory professional.

Holmes didn’t present information or data on their Edison platform. Instead, she presented on a whole new tabletop device called the MiniLab.
Essentially, the MiniLab is just that–it’s one machine that performs (dozens? hundreds? that part is unclear) tests on patient samples. It appears to be a counter-top sized analyzer, and will be able to perform chemistry, hematology, and immunology tests from one sample.
Most of the data presented was performed using the MiniLab and venous blood samples.
While the box is indeed small and all-inclusive, non of the tech inside–at least, as far as I could tell–was revolutionary or groundbreaking in anyway.
There seems to be a lot of waste. The cartridge includes the consumables to do dozens of tests, but what if a patient only wants, say, a CBC performed?
I’m finding it hard to believe that this analyzer would make laboratory testing affordable. Accessible, maybe, but it’s not going to be cheap.

If you’d like to see the presentation and the Q&A, you can watch it on YouTube.

If you’d like to see the slide deck with Holmes’ presentation, it’s here..

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-Kelly Swails, MT(ASCP), is a laboratory professional, recovering microbiologist, and web editor for Lab Medicine.

FDA Halts Blood Donation in Two Florida Counties Due to Zika Virus

From the Washington Post:

“In a notice sent to blood centers and posted on the agency’s website Wednesday evening, the FDA said it is requesting all blood centers in Miami-Dade and Broward counties to ‘cease collecting blood immediately’ until those facilities can test individual units of blood donated in those two counties with a special investigational donor screening test for Zika virus or until the establishments implement the use of an approved or investigational pathogen-inactivation technology.”

The Lonely Life of a Clinical Pathologist

Have you ever felt like no one knows exactly what you do for a job; friends, family, even your colleagues? As a clinical pathologist, if you are ever asked what your job entails, it might take you a full 10 minutes to just explain the surface of it and by that time your audiences’ s eyes have glazed over and they are wondering when their next coffee break is. It can get pretty lonely when very few people understand your daily life of work.

I currently hold a general clinical pathology position and oversee the microbiology, chemistry, and immunology sections of a community hospital laboratory that services two hospitals totaling a little over 500 beds. I also get consulted on point of care testing and consult at two critical access hospitals that have a general AP/CP pathologist directing their lab.

As a new clinical pathologist, I was asked to blog about my experiences during the first year of working in the real world. I thought it would be a great venue to talk about how I have combatted the “loneliness” I face when I feel like no one knows what I do. Over the next couple of months I will highlight some of the tasks I have undertaken in my current position and I’d also love to hear what other clinical pathologist’s careers look like and/or how they have evolved over the years.

The beauty of a career in clinical pathology was explained to me by an attending during my residency training –you make of it what you want to. He also told me to not venture into the lab because they will ask you to do things, and since I am not very good at following advice, that is exactly the first topic I would like to explore: getting into the lab on a daily basis.

When I was in training, one of the best ideas I took away for my job was microbiology rounds. The first attending I observed holding these was a medical microbiologist that would round through the micro lab every day asking the techs if they had any odd cultures, questions that needed to be answered or anything that required follow up. When I took this job, I knew I wanted to incorporate this type of rounding as part of my work. My office is conveniently located at the back of the microbiology laboratory, so as I walk through the lab, I make it a point to say hi and ask the technologists if they have any issues, or any interesting cultures. It is not a formal rounding, but issues come out of these interactions and give me items to follow up with on a daily basis. Having my office located in the lab also allows the techs to come to me throughout the day with any questions they may have and has established a great rapport between us.

I also round through the chemistry and immunology section of the lab, specifically hitting second shift, as they lack a lot of interaction with clinicians. This has been a harder task for me because my subspecialty training was microbiology. I feel comfortable interacting with the technologists and lab staff, but when I first started I had the fear that I would not know the answer to a question I might be asked. Lucky for me, there are not as many questions that come out of these rounds. But of the questions I have gotten and I did not know the answer, it has never been a problem by me saying “I don’t know off the top of my head, but let me get back to you”. It also helps that I drop off candy in the break room while they wait on me – it is truly amazing how chocolate helps you make friends (thanks for the tip, Mindy Kaling). In addition to troubleshooting, rounding through the lab has given me the opportunity to interact with other people who have a passion for laboratory medicine. The techs will get just as excited about an interesting organism that was isolated or a new instrument we might bring in, and it is great to be able to share that passion you feel for your job with others.

Next month I will discuss a little more about the “formal” interactions I have set in the lab, but for now, let’s hear from you: how do you get involved in the lab and the technologists you work with?

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Your Survival is in an Undisclosed Location

Over on NPR, Nell Greenfieldboyce writes about secret bunkers filled with healthcare supplies. You know, for the upcoming zombie apocalypse. (Okay, or maybe the next flu pandemic). It’s an interesting look at the logistics that go into managing stockpiles. Also, the author points out a sobering thought: while so much planning goes into inventory, dispersing that inventory in the event of an emergency could prove to be an issue.

Special Safety Considerations in the Anatomic Pathology Laboratory

Margie had worked in the histology department for years. She never used the chemical fume hood when pouring formaldehyde, but lately she had been coughing quite a bit, so she decided it was time to use the hoods. Soon she would be diagnosed with lung cancer.

Steve was a cytotechnologist working in the radiology department for a fine needle aspirate procedure. The radiologist was in a hurry, and when he handed the uncapped sample needle to Steve, the needle pierced the skin in Steve’s hand. The patient had Hepatitis C.

Jane had finished her long day of assisting with frozen sections and had to clean the cryostat. It was the end of the day, and she wanted to go home. She reached into the cryostat to change the blade with her gloved hands. She received a nasty cut on her finger, and since the blade had been used for multiple patients, Jane had to be treated for an exposure from an unknown source.

Anatomic Pathology laboratories present unique safety concerns that can differ from clinical lab concerns. Formaldehyde and other hazardous chemicals are used to preserve tissue specimens, workers can be exposed to large amounts of blood and body fluid during autopsies, and the sharp blades in cryostats and microtomes create additional cause for concern. Histology and Cytology employees need to be ever-vigilant to protect themselves from these exceptional hazards.

Formaldehyde and xylene are two chemicals typically handled in the AP lab. Xylene is a strong-smelling flammable liquid, and formaldehyde is listed by OSHA as a known carcinogen. If using these chemicals in the lab, you should have specific safety procedures for them, and vapor concentration monitoring should be performed to determine employee exposure levels. It is important to review the monitoring results as soon as possible, and never more than 10 ten days after receiving them. Discuss the results with each monitored employee individually or post the results in the department. Because monitoring is performed for tasks as well as locations, it is considered representative monitoring. That means one result may represent several employees who perform the same tasks or work in the same area.

If vapor concentration levels are elevated, make sure to take measures (such as using engineering controls) to reduce or eliminate staff exposure. OSHA’s Formaldehyde Standard requires annual monitoring if results are above the STEL (short term exposure limit). To discontinue sampling, the lab needs to obtain results from two consecutive sampling periods taken at least 7 days apart show that employee exposure is below the action level and the STEL.

OSHA requires a specific safety formaldehyde training for all employees who are exposed to formaldehyde concentrations of 0.1 parts per million (ppm) or greater. This formaldehyde training must include specific elements including education of the contents of the Formaldehyde Standard, the contents of the formaldehyde Safety Data Sheet (SDS), the health hazards of formaldehyde exposure, the proper use of necessary PPE, and spill response and clean-up procedures. This training is required by OSHA annually, and it may need to be provided to some employees who work outside the laboratory (operating room staff, labor and delivery staff, etc.). Even though the laboratory may not be responsible to provide this training, it is a good idea to communicate with other department leaders to ensure they get the required training for their staff.

Blades and other sharps pose great risks in AP procedure areas. Most microtomes and cryostats are equipped with knife guards- insist that they be used. Remove used blades with magnetic-tipped implements and insert new blades using rubber-tipped tweezers. Place disposable knives in sharps containers after use.

Odd as it may seem, there are Cytology procedures where the hand-off of uncapped needles containing samples sometimes occurs. Unprotected needles should never be passed from one person’s hand to another. These needles should be placed on a counter or the technologist should only take them from the collector with an implement such as tweezers. Be sure there is ample space to safely perform the cytology tasks in the procedure area away from the lab.

Laboratory Safety is not a “one-size fits all” umbrella for all areas where laboratorians work. Risk assessments and task assessments are critical to determine the particular hazards in a specific lab. In the Anatomic Pathology laboratory, these assessments should guide safety leaders to those specific safety measures which can help your staff prevent injuries and exposures which can be career and life-changing.

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altona Diagnostics Receives Emergency Use Authorization for Zika Virus Diagnostic Test

On May 13th, altona Diagnostics received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA for their RealStar Zika Virus RT-PCR Kit U.S. for the qualitative detection of RNA from Zika virus in serum or urine (collected alongside a patient-matched serum specimen) from individuals meeting CDC Zika virus clinical criteria. This is the same kit that Houston Methodist Hospital and Texas Children’s Hospital used for their laboratory-developed Zika test.

FDA Letter of Authorization

altona Diagnostics press release