Resources & Articles

Resources & Articles

Lab Connections Newsletter

MuirLab’s quarterly newsletter, Lab Connections, highlights current lab issues and related health care information beneficial to health care providers in providing quality care to the community. Along with perspective commentary, these issues include information and updates relating to lab tests, methodologies, innovations, infection control, regulatory, medical imaging, and the like.

Test Updates

  • CRP or hs-CRP
  • October 1, 2010 by Barry P. Latner, M.D., Medical Director of Laboratory Services
  • Although Shakespeare did not have this question in mind when he wrote Hamlet, it is an appropriate one to consider when completing a laboratory test requisition. C-reactive protein (CRP) is one of the most sensitive acute phase proteins and appears to be a nonspecific host defense against inflammation... more...
  • Test Change Announcement
  • July 1, 2010 by MuirLab
  • Effective August 4, 2010 the name of the test "UA conditional" (15015) will be changing. The test will now be named UA with Microscopic (C&S if indicated). When this test is ordered, a complete urinalysis is performed which includes... more...
  • Norovirus Outbreak Specimens
  • July 1, 2010 by MuirLab
  • Outbreak Norovirus specimens are processed at California State Public Health laboratories. They are currently charging for this service. In the event of a facility or regional outbreak, State laboratories are prepared to process specimens rapidly and are able to track the progress of outbreaks throughout the State. If a Norovirus Outbreak is suspected,... more...

Educational News

  • Immunization Reminder
  • October 1, 2010 by MuirLab
  • All health care providers in the US, who administer to any child or adult, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), trivalent influenza, pneumococcal conjugate,... more...
  • What Happened to Contact Precautions?
  • January 1, 2010 by MuirLab
  • The greatest change and challenge occurred with Contact Precautions. In 2009 Cal/OSHA instituted a new category which may be called “Aerosol Transmission” based Precautions, which subsumed Droplet and Airborne Precautions and largely ignored Contact Precautions. Standard Precautions as stipulated in the 2007 CDC Guideline had already been elevated to a level of what some termed “modified” Contact Precautions. In some facilities... more...

Regulatory News

  • CDC may Recommend Hepatitis B Vaccinations in Nursing Homes
  • June 30, 2009 by MuirLab
  • Outbreaks of Hepatitis B continue to be a problem in long-term care facilities and ambulatory care centers. Outbreak investigations in long-term care settings have found person to person transmission associated with inappropriate blood glucose monitoring practices. Of particular concern is the fact... more...
  • Safeguarding Patient Medical Information
  • April 10, 2009 by MuirLab
  • On January 1, 2009 California implemented strict new laws to safeguard patient medical information. These new laws hold both entities and individuals accountable for maintaining the confidentiality of patient medical information. Under the new California laws, health facilities must prevent... more...
  • New Laws That Will Affect Long Term Care
  • April 10, 2009 by MuirLab
  • Senate Bill 158 became effective on January 1, 2009. It requires that each facility develop hand hygiene programs and establish patient safety plans. The safety plans must include: 1) A patient safety committee; 2) A reporting system for patient safety events; 3) A process for facility staff to conduct thorough analyses including... more...

Instrumentation News

  • The Immunology Department at John Muir Walnut Creek Announces the ADVIA Centaur System
  • January 1, 2000 by MuirLab
  • The Immunology Department at John Muir Walnut Creek has acquired new instrumentation that will provide enhanced service for infectious disease, autoimmune, and oncology testing. The ADVIA Centaur System is designed to handle increasing testing volumes while decreasing time and labor. Throughput is up to 240 tests per hour with on-board dilution,... more...
  • Microbiology
  • January 1, 2000 by MuirLab
  • Microbiology has upgraded the Microscan Walkaway instruments (which perform sensitivity testing) with the LabPro operating system. The new software streamlines workflow, and provides enhanced manipulation of data and epidemiology statistics. more...

National Coverage Determination Binder

A manual to help you code laboratory requisitions.

MuirLab Marquee Archive

A full list of past Marquee issues