Archived Bulletins

Medical Bulletins

• Pathology
  • Turnaround Time for Pathology Reports (April 12, 2019)
• Chemistry
  • Carbamazepine, plasma - Change in location of testing (July 20, 2021)
  • New Testng - Neurodegenerative Profile, CSF (July 1, 2021)
  • Discontinuation of beside Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) at PHC sites (May 26, 2021)
  • NT-proBNPtesting available at Mount St. Joseph Hospital (May 3, 2021)
  • Infliximab - New Methods (August 12, 2019)
  • New Method for IGF-1 Testing (July 15, 2019)
  • Confirmatory testing for primary aldosterone via seated saline suppression test (SSST) (April 16, 2019)
  • Change in reporting for carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and methemoglobin (MetHb) (March 8, 2019)
  • Cannabinoid urine screen changed to stand-alone test (October 31, 2018)
  • Infliximab - New Laboratory Requisition (September 1, 2018)
  • New Standard C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Test at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital (August 13, 2018)
  • Reporting Total Hemoglobin, Carboxyhemoglobin, and Methemoglobin from Blood Gas and Rapid Metabolic Panel (RMP) (June 28, 2018)
  • Discontinuation of Inpatient Fecal Occult Blood Testing (June 15, 2018)
  • Anti-psychotic Risperidone and Paliperidone may cause False Positive on the Point-of-Care SureStep Fentanyl Urine Drug Screen (January 31, 2018)
  • Discontinuation of Miscellaneous Low Volume Tests (December 20, 2017)
  • Discontinuation of Urine Myoglobin Testing (October 27, 2017)
  • Fetal Scalp Lactate on Nova StatStrip Point-of-Care Meter (October 3, 2017)
  • Change in Qualitative Serum Ketone Testing (September 8, 2017)
  • New procedure: MSJ Urine Drug Screen Testing (February 2, 2017)
  • Thyroglobulin by Tandem Mass Spectrometry (January 10, 2017)
  • Plasma Posaconazole by Liquid Chromatography and Tandem Mass Spectrometry – UPDATE 2016 (December 15, 2016)
  • Method Change Affecting Multiple Laboratory Tests (July 28, 2016)
  • Change in Thyroglobulin and Anti-Thyroglobulin Methods (July 25, 2016)
  • New Growth Hormone (GH) Test (July 21, 2016)
  • Fentanyl Urine Drug Screen (June 8, 2016)
  • Method Change Affecting Multiple Laboratory Tests (January 22, 2016)
  • High Sensitivity Troponin T (hsTnT) to Replace Troponin I (January 21, 2016)
  • New Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) Test (January 21, 2016)
  • N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) to Replace BNP (January 21, 2016)
  • Change in Method for IgE (December 8, 2015)
  • Changes to Urine Drugs of Abuse Screening for Inpatients (May 6, 2015)
  • TCA Screen Discontinuation (April 21, 2015)
  • Change in Method for Albumin (January 14, 2015)
  • Change in Method for Lipoprotein(a) (June 25, 2014)
  • Rapid Metabolic Panel Available at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital (January 14, 2014)
  • Plasma Renin Activity by Tandem Mass Spectrometry (November 7, 2013)
  • Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) available at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital (August 1, 2013)
  • Active Vitamin B12 Assay Now Available at St. Paul's Hospital (June 17, 2013)
  • Vitamin D Ordering Not Available for General Practitioners (May 30, 2013)
  • Beta Trace Protein for the Detection of CSF (April 10, 2013)
  • Change in Method for Insulin Like Growth Factor 1 (March 6, 2013)
  • Posaconazole by Tandem Mass Spectrometry (January 28, 2013)
  • Change in Method for C-Reactive Protein (August 20, 2012)
  • Voriconazole by Tandem Mass Spectrometry (July 9, 2012)
  • Betahydroxybutyrate Available at St. Paul's Hospital (May 16, 2012)
  • Serum Cortisol by Tandem Mass Spectrometry (June 30, 2011)
  • Urinary Free Cortisol by Tandem Mass Spectrometry (June 28, 2011)
  • Change in Method for Insulin and C-peptide (June 7, 2011)
  • Aldosterone by Tandem Mass Spectrometry (February 28, 2011)
  • Change in Calibration Sex Hormone Binding Globulin and Bioavailable Testosterone (February 2, 2011)
  • Change in Calibration Growth Hormone Assay (January 24, 2011)
• Hematopathology/Transfusion Medicine
  • Changes in Heparin Reagents and Therapetic Ranges (April 10, 2019)
  • Update on CMV Seronegative Blood within PHC (December 8, 2016)
  • Thromboelastography (TEG) is Now Available at St. Paul’s Hospital Hematology Lab (October 2016)
  • Single WBC, HB, HCT, PLT orders discontinued (April 20, 2016)
  • Transfusion Medicine @ MSJ (February 2016)
  • New Hematology Analyzers (September 10, 2015)
  • Discontinuation of on-site bone marrow procurement for analysis at MSJ (October 21, 2014)
  • Units of Measure Change (January 21, 2014)
  • Change In Testing For Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT) Antibodies (December 2, 2013)
  • Upcoming Changes In Specialized Coagulation Testing (October 15, 2013)
  • Upcoming Changes In Coagulation Tests (August 7, 2013)
• Microbiology/Virology
  • SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Testing Outline (February 9, 2021)
    SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Antibody (Serology) Testing (September 10, 2020)
    NEW Lymphogranuloma Venereum (LGV) PCR assay (February 10, 2020
  • Testing Platform for Polyomavirus (BK Virus) Quantitative Viral Load (May 15, 2018)
  • PHC Antibiogram January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017
  • Change in sequencing platforms for hepatitis B resistance and genotype testing (October 2, 2017)
  • NEW Testing Platform for Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Quantitative Viral Load (May 31, 2017)
  • Clostridium difficile Testing Update 2017 (January 30, 2017)
  • Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) testing by PCR (January 16, 2017)
  • Plasma Posaconazole by Liquid Chromatography and Tandem Mass Spectrometry – UPDATE 2016 (December 15, 2016)
  • Hepatitis B (HBV) resistance and genotype testing (January 25, 2015)
  • Test Cancellation – Epstein Barr Virus immunoglobulin A (EBV IgA) (March 20, 2014)
  • Hepatitis B viral load testing (August 1, 2013)
  • Viral Testing (June 17, 2013)
  • New respiratory virus testing service (February 22, 2013)
• Pre and Post Analytical
  • Laboratory Order Priorities Update (effective August 26, 2020)
  • Pediatric Collections in the Emergency Department (May 15, 2019)

Technical Bulletins

• Chemistry
  • New Nova StatStrip Glucose Meters: Explanation of glucose measurement bias as compared to laboratory plasma glucose measurements (February 26, 2021)
  • New Nova StatStrip Glucose Meters: Update to Normal Ranges and Critical Ranges (February 26, 2021)
  • Infliximab infusion sites and referring-in labs (August 12, 2019)
  • Aldosterone by mass spectrometry: change in sample type to EDTA plasma (May 13, 2016)
  • Change in Method for IgE (December 8, 2015)
  • Testosterone and Bioavailable Testosterone by Liquid Chromatography and Tandem Mass Spectrometry (February 12, 2014)
  • Plasma Renin Activity by Tandem Mass Spectrometry (November 5, 2013)
  • Change in Method for Insulin Like Growth Factor 1 (March 7, 2013)
  • Posaconazole by Tandem Mass Spectrometry (February 1, 2013)
  • Voriconazole by Tandem Mass Spectrometry (July 11, 2012)
• Hematopathology/Transfusion Medicine
  • Special Coagulation Sample Requirements and Handling (June 2016)
• Microbiology/Virology
  • Respiratory Virus Testing Algorithm (January 16, 2019)
  • PHC Virology Laboratory Viral Load Testing Requirements (May 7, 2018)
  • Virology Laboratory Serology Testing – Change to Primary Tube testing ONLY (November 26, 2015)
  • Mycobacteria Blood Culture bottles (November 4, 2015)
  • Product Change in Anaerobic (Orange top) Blood Culture Bottle (December 23, 2013)
  • New Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrheae testing (April 30, 2013)
  • New Microbiological Laboratory Testing of Dialysis Water (February 18, 2013)
  • PHC Virology Laboratory Serology Test Ordering Changes – Hepatitis A Total Antibody (January 29, 2013)
  • Product Change in Blood Culture Bottles (July 31, 2012)
  • Virology Laboratory Serology Test SCM Ordering Changes – HIV and Hepatitis A (May 24, 2012)
  • Peritoneal Dialysate Fluid Specimens (March 21, 2011)