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Online compliance and continuing education courses for clinical laboratories

Labeled Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.

These are the MediaLab courses that cover Labeled and links to relevant pages within the course.

Learn more about laboratory continuing education for medical technologists to earn CE credit for AMT, ASCP, NCA, and state license renewal and recertification. Or get information about laboratory safety and compliance courses that deliver cost-effective OSHA safety training and continuing education to your laboratory's employees.

Laboratories Individuals

Cerebrospinal Fluid
Which of the following criteria may invalidate CSF results?View Page
Specimen Labeling and Transport

The cerebrospinal fluid sample should be properly labeled with the tube number, patient's name and hospital number. The samples should be transported to the laboratory immediately.

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Initial Specimen Examination

The technologist is responsible for examining CSF samples as they are received. If any of the following conditions are present, the results of testing could be uninterpretable: Tubes are not labeled.Tubes are not numbered.Specimen contains a blood clot.Specimen contains less than 0.5 ml CSF.

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CLIA General Laboratory Review
If a pipette is labeled (TC) " to contain " you would do the following:View Page

Descriptive Statistics
What is wrong with the following bar chart?Figure 3 View Page

Introduction to the ABO Blood Group System
Forward Typing

Forward typing is done using known antisera to detect ABO antigens present on the patient’s red cells. In the tube test, known antisera and patient cells are placed in labeled test tubes, centrifuged, and observed for agglutination. Each manufacturer has specific instructions for its own antisera, detailing the percent of cell suspension, number of drops of cell suspension versus number of drops of antisera, and the rate and length of centrifugation. Though the details differ, the theory behind the tests is the same.

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Reverse Typing

Reverse typing refers to the testing of a patient's serum for the presence of ABO antibodies. The patient's serum is mixed with known red cells in a test tube. A specified number of drops of patient serum are placed into each of three properly labeled tubes. A specified number of drops of known A1 cells are added to the A tube, and a specified number of drops of known B cells are added to the B tube. The tubes are mixed by gently shaking, centrifuged, and observed against a well-lit white background for the presence of hemolysis in the supernatant fluid. The cell button is then gently dispersed and inspected for agglutination, again using a well-lit background. Hemolysis or agglutination is a positive reaction. The expected reactions can be seen in the table on the following page.

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OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens
Transporting Specimens

Place blood and other infectious specimens ... first in an appropriate sealed container and then in a secondary red or biohazard labeled bag. Or place them in a compartmentalized tray for transport within the institution.

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Biohazard Labeled Container

If the outside of a sealed specimen container is contaminated, the standard requires that the specimen be placed in a secondary red/orange or biohazard labeled container.

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Contaminated Wastes(2)

Contaminated sharps must be placed in puncture resistant, leak-proof, closable, biohazard labeled containers.These must be closed when only three quarters full, to prevent sharps from sticking out of the opening, and must be disposed of properly.

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Biohazard Labeled Bags

Put contaminated wastes which do not have the potential to puncture in a red or orange leakproof biohazard labeled bag.If the external surface of this bag is contaminated, place it within a secondary leakproof bag.Always hold full waste bags away from your body to prevent an injury by a protruding sharp.

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OSHA Chemical Hygiene (updated 2007)
Format of the Label

Every chemical container is labeled by the manufacturer. The format of the label will differ from company to company. The label must contain similar types of information to meet the OSHA and DOT regulations. The label makes it easy for you to find a chemical's possible hazards. The basic steps to protect yourself against the chemical's hazards are listed on the label.

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OSHA Formaldehyde
A Potential Carcinogen

More importantly, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has labeled formaldehyde a potential human carcinogen.

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Pharmacology in the Clinical Lab: Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Pharmacogenomics
FPIA

Fluoresence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) is also a homogenous competitive immunoassay. In this system, fluorescein-labeled drug competes with unlabeled drug from the patient's serum sample for binding sites on an antibody reagent. The patient's sample, presumably containing the therapeutic drug that is being monitored, and the fluorescein-labeled drug are added to a chamber containing antibody for that drug. The labeled and unlabeled drug will compete for binding sites on the antibody. The greater the amount of drug in the sample, the fewer the number of binding sites that are available for the labeled analyte, leaving a greater number of small, free fluorescein-labeled molecules in the solution.When the chamber is excited with plane polarized light, fluorescein will absorb the light and emit it at a higher wavelength as fluorescent light. A small, free fluorescein-labeled drug rotates randomly and faster than it would if it were bound to antibody, interrupting the light and leading to less emission of light. The larger antibody-drug-fluorescein complexes rotate slower and emit more light in the measured plane. A lower level of drug in the patient's sample results in greater emission of polarized light because there are more antibody-drug-fluorescein complexes present to produce light in the measured plane. A higher level of drug in the patient's sample results in a lower emission of polarized light. This inverse relationship between the concentration of the drug and the polarization units (signal) is illustrated in the image below.

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Phlebotomy
Hollister system: armbands continued

Detach the properly labeled armband stub.Insert the armband completely into the non-removable bracelet, and attach the bracelet securely to the patient’s wrist. The procedure at your own institution may vary from that described above. Follow it carefully to avoid errors.

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Labeling errors

Labeling errors are the most common cause of incorrect laboratory results.If detected, the incorrectly labeled specimen will be rejected.If undetected, it will produce incorrect results which might adversely affect your patient’s care. 

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