The Medical/Scientific staff at LifeLabs welcomes consultations from all healthcare providers regarding:

• general information about laboratory testing (utilization issues, appropriate tests to order)
• the interpretation of specific results specific
• questions or problems with testing

More information

The laboratory has defined a number of criteria for a blood film examination based on the CBC results. If these criteria are not met, then a blood film will not be done.

Most platelet clumping occurs in EDTA collected specimens. To obtain a platelet count, specifically order another CBC to be done on a citrated specimen. This will often allow for a platelet count to be determined.

Hemoglobin fractionation (Hemoglobin electrophoresis) will allow for a diagnosis of Beta-Thalassemia trait , but a definitive diagnosis of alpha thalassemia trait requires genetic testing.

Laboratory methods can accurately report results within specified ranges which have been confirmed for each test. The “>” or “<” on a report indicates that the concentration in the sample is either greater than or less than the measureable limits of that test. If the result is clinically abnormal it will be flagged as either “HI” or “LO”.

Sometimes the appropriate time for taking a TDM sample is immediately prior to the next dose when the drug concentration is at its minimum (trough concentration). Sometimes, a sample collected immediately after drug administration (peak concentration) may be required.  Evaluation of the clinical significance of the test result therefore depends on knowledge of the time when the sample was drawn.

Knowing the level of monomeric (active) prolactin in a sample helps interpret the clinical significance of the macroprolactin result.  The procedure for measuring macroprolactin actually requires determination of the monomeric prolactin result.

Among the likely causes of a spuriously high potassium are challenges with sample collection, time to centrifugation and sample transportation issues.  Clenching your fist before or during sample collection can also contribute to spuriously high potassium results.

PHL and LL use different methods for hepatitis testing and sometimes results from these two methods can and will differ.  We usually recommend retesting.  If the repeat results also differ you can consult our Medical Scientific team.

The test for ANAs can also detect non-nuclear (cytoplasmic) autoantibodies.  Where no ANA is detected but we observe a cytoplasmic pattern we have to indicate “negative” for ANA but best practice demands that we report the presence of these cytoplasmic autoantibodies.

No.  All drugs included in the BST menu will be tested with each BST screen. Only drugs detected above the reporting cut off will be reported.

This could be one of the answers, but there are other possibilities.  For example the opiate drug screen test has poor cross-reactivity with this drug and so may not detect it.  Pre-analytical error such as sample misidentification is another possibility.  Contact one our Medical/Scientific staff for further assistance.

The opiate screen can detect natural opiates such as codeine and morphine. Cross-reactivity is poor with semi-synthetic opiates such as hydrocodone, hydromorphone and oxycodone.  In addition, the test will not detect any of the synthetic opioids (i.e. fentanyl, tramadol, meperidine), methadone, or buprenorphine.