RE: Fetal Hemoglobin by flow cytometry

Andrea,

 

I had no luck with 24/ 7 issue on this test. Our hospital is performing
KB as a second part of RhoGAM workup in case of positive screening
results from Ortho-test and for checking on fetal-maternal hemorrhage in
case of any accident. I was able to get away with the first part,
because Ortho screening for RhoGAM is run twice a day on a daily basis
and my schedule for flow lab business hours (same as your) would fit
into it. However, I could never get away from trauma -or injury-related
fetal-maternal hemorrhage test, which is been offered now for 24 / 7 by
K-B test. Our ob/gyn docs absolutely refused to have two tests in place
and we refused to come at 2 AM to perform it. We have about 600 cases a
year and 2/3 of them are trauma-related. Therefore, our flow lab is busy
doing other tests, and K-B test is the one to be performed by hematology
lab in our hospital. May be, your doctors would look at this matter
differently and you would be more lucky. 

 

Irina Grigorieva, PhD

Director, Flow Cytometry Laboratory,

Northside Hospital, Atlanta, GA

voice (404)-851-6541

fax (404)-845-5353

 

________________________________

From: Andrea Illingworth [mailto:AIllingworth@dahlchase.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 3:31 PM
To: cyto-inbox
Subject: Fetal Hemoglobin by flow cytometry

 

Dear flow group,

 

This is an old topic but it keeps coming up in our institution
(independent flow lab but in close proximity to the hospital) - what is
the medical necessity to offer the flow cytometric fetal hgb test on a
stat basis? We are currently staffed Mo-Fr 5am-9pm and Sa 9am-5:30pm, on
call Su 8am-3pm for stat cases (acute leukemias and now potentially for
fetal hgb). Currently the hospital is performing the KB test but is
considering switching over to flow as it is the better test. However,
since we don't offer the flow test 24/7, is there a need for them to
continue offering the KB test during the off hours (and having even less
comfort level for these rare occasions)? The question is also, is there
ever a need to have the flow test (or the KB) done at 2am and does the
obstretician base clinical management on these tests? Could this wait
until the next morning when the flow tech can come in? 

 

I would appreciate any feedback regarding how other flow labs deal with
this issue.

 

Kind regards - Andrea

 

Andrea Illingworth, MS

Operational Director for Flow Cytometry and Clinical Trials Division

Dahl-Chase Diagnostic Services

417 State Street, Suite 540

Bangor, Maine 04401

Phone: 207-941-8282 or 1-877-PNH-FLOW

Fax: 207-941-8287

aillingworth@dahlchase.com