Hematologic effects of thrombophilia.

The hematologic effects of thrombophilia are subtle, and when recognized may provide clues for the diagnosis of hypercoagulation in patients. This article identifies aberrant, routine test results associated with the diagnosis of thrombophilia. The future expansion of laboratory testing for thrombophilia detection is presented in summation.

Educators' responsibilities in implementing the ADA.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits educational programs from discriminating against academically qualified applicants with disabilities and requires each academic program to develop a list of essential requirements for the program. This article describes how the ADA affects educational programs. It also presents a sample list of essential requirements for radiologic science education programs that supports ADA requirements. Documenting the essential requirements is in the best interests of the program and its students, providing a defensible basis for student admissions and the measurement of academic progress.

Essential requirements for clinical laboratory science.

OBJECTIVE: To present a sample list of essential requirements for clinical laboratory science (CLS) education that support the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The essential requirements provide a basis for student admission and academic progress measurement. DATA SOURCES: Over 700 articles have appeared in various professional and trade journals on the impact of the ADA since it was signed in 1990. DATA EXTRACTION: Literature review. DATA SYNTHESIS: The ADA prohibits discrimination against academically qualified program applicants with disabilities, and requires a list of essential requirements, distinct from academic requirements and distinct from essential functions of jobs, for each academic program. Essential requirements, also called technical standards or functional expectations, are task and attribute-based criteria that define their educational program. Applicants and students must possess or be able to achieve the essential requirements directly or through reasonable accommodations. CONCLUSION: By July 1994, all educators must have been prepared with defensible essential and academic requirements that reflect the needs of their programs, and with appropriate processes for managing applications, academic progress, and program completion that promote equal educational opportunity for qualified individuals with disabilities.

Detection of anticardiolipin antibody in patients with cocaine abuse.

Anticardiolipin antibody, an immunoglobulin that binds negatively charged phospholipids, is considered to be an in vitro inhibitor of clot-based coagulation procedures. We adapted an enzyme immunoassay using stationary cardiolipin antigen to compare anticardiolipin antibody activity in the plasma of 44 cocaine abusers with its activity in the serum of 72 blood donors and a sample of 203 random specimens from healthy volunteers. Activity of 20 of the 44 abusers and 43 of 203 random specimens exceeded the donor control reference range. Patients using intravenous cocaine were more likely to have elevated activity than those who inhaled (P less than 0.05). Of 7 patients who had seizures or thromboembolic disorders, 5 were anticardiolipin antibody positive. Enzyme immunoassay may have predictive value for ischemic disease in cocaine abusers.

Vitamin E and autoxidation.

Vitamin E refers to a family of fat-soluble phenolic compounds called tocopherols, which have been established as essential nutrients in vertebrates. In animals the deficiency state has resulted in diminished reproductive capabilities, muscular dystrophy, exudative diathesis, megaloblastosis, gastrointestinal and pulmonary degeneration, and nephrosis. In humans with low vitamin E levels a subclinical diminished erythrocyte life-span has been demonstrated by hydrogen peroxide hemolysis test. This effect may have clinical significance among premature infants. The metabolic function of vitamin E appears to be as a scavenger of lipid peroxides and free oxygen radicals which enter into chain reactions to cause breakdown of lipids. Normal levels of the vitamin serve to prevent this cellular oxidative breakdown. Laboratory measurement of vitamin E is chromatographic, with HPLC presently used in both research and clinical applications. The association between vitamin E levels and hemolytic anemia in humans is currently under investigation.

Urinalysis by modular learning.

A self-instructional approach to the entry-level presentation of urinalysis in a written modular format was used by a class of medical laboratory technician students. The course consisted of 13 modules based upon behavioral objectives. The modules used no audio or visual media but required "hands-on" performance of laboratory procedures. The achievements of a test sample of 12 students were compared with those of a previous class in which the same material was presented in lectures. Evaluation by written tests given to both classes showed no statistical difference. The self-instructed students performed adequately in their practical laboratory work, but the overall learning time was increased by 50 percent when self-pacing was used. A measurement questionnaire revealed that the students preferred instructor-led courses to self-instructional units for a variety of reasons which lead to some further considerations.