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Edupath Newsletter September 2020 – The Role of Antibody Testing in the Management and Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) Because the sensitivity of laboratory-based serology tests and rapid point-of-care tests are too low within the first 14 days after SARS-CoV-2 infection (causing COVID-19), reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) remains the current gold standard of diagnosis of… Continue reading Edupath Newsletter September 2020 – The Role of Antibody Testing in the Management and Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19)

Edupath Newsletter September 2020 – Biofire Meningitis and EncephalitisPathCare is introducing a new Meningitis/Encephalitis Multiplexed PCR test with an expanded organism profile and reduced turn-around time. This new PCR test is able to detect 14 potential central nervous system (CNS) pathogens (table 1) and will replace the current viral meningitis PCR and bacterial meningitis PCR… Continue reading Edupath Newsletter September 2020 – Biofire Meningitis and Encephalitis

Edupath Newsletter August 2020 – Autoimmune diseaseAutoimmune conditions pose a diagnostic challenge as the presenting clinical symptoms may be non-specific, vary from patient to patient and often overlap. Moreover, there is no single diagnostic test for any one autoimmune disease. Diagnosis is most often based on a combination of clinical information, patient history, laboratory testing… Continue reading Edupath Newsletter August 2020 – Autoimmune disease

Edupath Newsletter July 2020 – New SLE Classification Criteria EULAR/ACR 2019The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) have jointly developed and published new classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).1 These criteria have been developed to find a better equilibrium between specificity and sensitivity compared with previous criteria (SLE… Continue reading Edupath Newsletter July 2020 – New SLE Classification Criteria EULAR/ACR 2019

Edupath Newsletter June 2020 – Pan fungal PCRThe PathCare molecular laboratory has developed an in-house, validated, pan-fungal PCR. Although more than 2 million fungal species are recognized, only 600 are reported to cause human disease and 99% of all human disease are caused by about 30 species. Haematological malignancy with stem cell transplant, neonatal and… Continue reading Edupath Newsletter June 2020 – Pan fungal PCR

Edupath Newsletter May 2020 – Lymphocytosis – Causes and approach to evaluation in adults Lymphocytosis refers to an increase of peripheral blood lymphocytes, which for adults is defined as an absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) > 5.0 x 109/L. Edupath Newsletter May 2020 – Lymphocytosis – Causes and approach to evaluation in adults

Edupath Newsletter Apr 2020 – Update on gestational trophoblastic diseaseGestational trophoblastic disease is a heterogenous group of proliferative disorders of the placental trophoblasts. It encompasses a wide spectrum of disorders, ranging from the non-neoplastic hydatidiform moles to neoplastic conditions, including the highly malignant gestational choriocarcinoma. Ascertaining an accurate histological diagnosis is essential, in order to… Continue reading Edupath Newsletter Apr 2020 – Update on gestational trophoblastic disease

Back to Basics: Serum protein electrophoresis in clinical medicineThe utilization of the serum protein electrophoresis (s-PEP) in clinical chemistry is often taken for granted. This EduPath aims to trace the history and highlight the benefits of this test as it is a valuable part of modern diagnostic medicine. This test is relatively inexpensive and can… Continue reading Edupath Newsletter Mar 2020 – Back to Basics: Serum protein electrophoresis in clinical medicine

Edupath Newsletter Feb 2020 – Urine tests for drugs of abuseClinicians are often confronted with screening for drugs of abuse, either in the consulting rooms or in an emergency unit setting. This review offers guidelines regarding the most common drugs of abuse, with special emphasis on specific practical aspects, such as clinical presentation, sample collection… Continue reading Edupath Newsletter Feb 2020 – Urine tests for drugs of abuse

Edupath Newsletter Nov 2019 – 1,3-β-D-Glucan (BDG) Assay for the Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Infections 2019The incidence of invasive fungal infections (IFI) has increased significantly in the last three decades due to a multitude of factors. IFI are associated with high mortality, therefore, the availability of a rapid and reliable screening test for initiation of… Continue reading Edupath Newsletter Nov 2019 – 1,3-β-D-Glucan (BDG) Assay for the Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Infections 2019