Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) is the major cause of death and disability worldwide with an increasing incidence. The risk of death is highest within the first few hours of AMI onset. Rapid identification of AMI is critical for the initiation of medical treatment and management. Fortunately, most patients presenting at emergency clinics with chest pain do not have AMI.

Download Document

Lipoprotein (a) also referred to as Lp (a) is structurally similar to LDL- C with the exception of the presence of apolipoprotein (a) or apo (a) moiety attached to its apo B component1. Apo(a) shares homology with the fibrin binding domain of plasminogen leading to impaired conversion to its active form plasmin. In addition, Lp (a) is associated with infiammation through pathological interaction with monocytes and endothelial cells2.

Download Document

D dimer has been in use for almost three decades, as a screening tool for Venous thromboembolism (VTE)¹. It is one of many Fibrin degradation products (FDP) produced after a clot is degraded by the process of fibrinolysis. FDPs come in a variety of molecular weights. However, unlike other FDPs that are formed following degradation of fibrinogen and fibrin, D – dimer is produced exclusively from cross-linked fibrin. D dimer is therefore indicative of clot degradation and not non-specific fibrinolysis2.

Download Document

Run A Complete Blood Count On Every Preanesthetic Patient

Thanks to increased client awareness and compliance, preanesthetic testing is not only practical and accepted, it is also expected. The results benefit everyone as they decrease client anxiety, improve anesthetic safety, establish baseline data and increase a practice’s financial health.

Most practices offer or require a chemistry panel with electrolytes for a preanesthetic screen, but rather than run a complete blood count (CBC), they perform only a packed cell volume (PCV) for a hematology profile. A PCV can help determine if a patient is anemic, but it cannot provide information on whether or not platelets are adequate for surgery or if inflammation or a glucocorticoid influence (“stress”) is present. To maximize preanesthetic screening value, a CBC must include an accurate platelet count, a five-part white blood cell differential and an absolute reticulocyte count.

A CBC provides a broad overview of the general health status of a patient and should be performed on all patients undergoing preanesthetic screening since it may detect subclinical or early developing disease that might put the patient at risk during anesthesia.

Evaluation for potential red blood cell, white blood cell and platelet abnormalities should be performed prior to anesthesia for several important reasons.

Please visit our Veterinary Services to learn more about our dedicated veterinary laboratory service offerings.

Download document

Summary

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) of the spleen may be helpful in the diagnostic work-up and development of a treatment plan for patients with suspected disease involving the spleen. As sensitive imaging procedures have become more widely available, the use of cytology for evaluation of abdominal organs has increased. Guidance of needle placement by imaging can enhance the probability of collecting a diagnostic sample, especially from smaller masses or those that are difficult to palpate. Although sometimes diagnostic, it is important to remember that cytology is a screening tool that complements other clinical information. Only a small sample of tissue is evaluated, so it is difficult to assess the extent of involvement. Discordance between cytology and other clinical findings should be pursued by histopathology or other diagnostic techniques.

Sample collection

Indications for FNA of the spleen for cytologic evaluation include generalized splenomegaly, presence of a mass or nodular lesions, abnormal echogenicity, or suspicion of neoplasia or inflammation. Potential complications include hemorrhage and seeding of neoplastic cells along the needle tracts, but these are rare. Thrombocytopenia is viewed by some as a contraindication for a FNA of the spleen. Although screening patients for hemostatic abnormalities may minimize the risk of hemorrhage, abnormal test results do not predict excessive bleeding in all patients, and hemorrhage can occur even if screening results are normal. The animal is placed in lateral or dorsal recumbency, the area over the site is surgically prepared, and a 1-1.5 inch 21 or 22 gauge needle is used for sample collection. A non-aspiration technique may result in more cellular samples with less blood contamination, but an aspiration technique with a 6-12-ml syringe also can be used.

Please visit our Veterinary Services to learn more about our dedicated veterinary laboratory service offerings.

Download document

Successfully managing your senior patients

In some ways, pets are like people

It is unfortunate that our patients and clients have a similarity, in that, pets, just like humans, are prone to agerelated diseases.

These include periodontal disease, obesity, chronic kidney disease (CKD), arthritis, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism, diabetes mellitus, hepatic disease, heart disease and impaired hearing and vision.

In a recent, large retrospective study by Baneld Pet Hospital, an association was recognised between increasing pet age and disease.

The benefits of early recognition

Many diseases are preventable or more successfully treated when diagnosed as early as possible and monitored closely.

According to veterinary experts, “Early disease recognition can help improve the quality of life for all dogs and cats, but especially for older dogs and cats and their owners.”

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an excellent example of a disease that, when diagnosed and treated in its earliest stage, results in a signicantly increased lifespan and improved quality of life for both dogs and cats.

Despite well-established guidelines, however, most patients aren’t diagnosed until they have late-stage disease. This reduces the likelihood of the patient responding to treatment and carries a poor to guarded prognosis.

Late stage diagnoses also have a negative impact on the client experience.

Most pet owners are unaware that early renal disease, like many diseases, can be present without a pet appearing to be sick.

This is why it is important to initiate conversations about the importance of regular preventive care visits, including screening and diagnostic tests.

Please visit our Veterinary Services to learn more about our dedicated veterinary laboratory service offerings.

Download document

Canine ehrlichiosis seropositivity and associated factors in Kenya and Tanzania

Ehrlichiosis is an important tickborne disease that causes severe illness in dogs and this research has contributed to the body of knowledge on this disease in our East African region.

Dr Dhavah Shah has a new research publication featured on the BMC  Veterinary Research journal. Along with his co-authors, he investigated the occurrence of ehrlichiosis in East Africa (specifically in Kenya and Tanzania) based on serology testing performed at PLK’s dedicated veterinary laboratory department and also described select factors associated with disease occurrence in the two East African countries.

Download the White paper

Innovation in Biological Samples Transportation: Cerba Healthcare successfully performed the first flight with drone in France and Italy

• A low-carbon logistic option that should avoid traffic-related delays while covering remoted places in the country
• Shortens time-to-results and improves patient management regardless of location

Cerba HealthCare, a leading global player in medical diagnosis, has been exploring new alternatives to transport biological samples that combine low carbon footprint, shorter time-to-results for patients and prescribers while allowing every patient to benefit from the analytical quality of large capacity laboratory platforms in a timely manner.

Over the past couple of weeks, France and Italy, two major affiliates of the Group, hosted drone-enabled sample transport and successfully performed their experimental flights in different conditions.

Jérôme Sallette, Chief Scientific Officer at Cerba HealthCare, comments: “Following the use cases we described in our white paper, the drone flight we experimented in Normandy with Cerballiance is a first step toward a broader and more sustainable approach of our logistic mix for sample transportation. It illustrates the long-standing drive for innovation within the Group and by 2024, we plan to identify how drones will prove an efficient complementary way of carrying biological samples”.

“Last week Cerba HealthCare Italia performed the first drone flight with biological samples embedded, involving some of the medical centers around the Metropolitan City of Milan, specifically in the two sites located in the cities of Opera and Rozzano” adds Stefano Massaro, Chief Executive Officer of Cerba HealthCare Italia. “We are dealing with the first air transport of blood samples not yet tested, experimented by the use of a drone. The result of this adventure today makes us confident and eager to pursue the path of innovation as a landmark of a leading quality service for patients”.

• To access the French flight video:https://youtu.be/rjy0e1kMluM
• To access the Italian flight video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wOCDJipasc
• To access the white paper:https://www.cerbahealthcare.com/en/drones-medical-logistics-opportunities-and-challenges

About Cerba HealthCare

Cerba HealthCare, a leading global player in medical diagnostics, aims to support the evolution of health systems towards more prevention. It draws on more than 50 years of expertise in clinical pathology to better assess the risk of diseases development, detect and diagnose diseases earlier, and optimize the effectiveness of personalized medicine.

Every day, on five continents, the Group's 15,000 employees sustain the transformation of medicine, driven by one deep conviction: to advance diagnosis is to advance health.

Cerba HealthCare, enlightening health.

Additional information is available at www.cerbahealthcare.com

Pathologists Lancet Kenya has been feted for its efforts in supporting Kenya healthcare recovery efforts during the Covid – 19 pandemic period. Pathologists Lancet Kenya emerged second runners-up during the 2023 Quality Healthcare Awards in the category of Excellence in response to Covid 19 which is a recognition of the laboratory’s outstanding preparedness and response in addressing the Covid pandemic to ensure behaviour change, safety of health workers and patients across the country.

Commenting on this achievement, Pathologists Lancet Kenya Managing Director Mwende Musunga noted that the Covid-19 pandemic period provided health organizations like Pathologists Lancet Kenya with an opportunity to scale its service delivery channels to support the fight against the spread of the pandemic.

“We are delighted by the recognition as it gives us a reason to continue doing good in society. During the pandemic period, Pathologists Lancet Kenya emerged as a key contact point in administering mass testing of potentially infectious specimens. The result was the introduction of a well-coordinated process that involved healthcare personnel in various units of our laboratory - including pre-analytical, analytical, and data and quality assurance checks,” Mwende said.

During this period, Pathologists Lancet Kenya used testing methods comprising of highly specialised molecular PCR testing to detect the viral RNA in patient’s nasopharyngeal swabs, and immunoassay testing to detect viral antigens in patient’s nasopharyngeal swabs samples. Committed to providing diagnostic excellence, Pathologists Lancet Kenya was the first laboratory in Kenya and the Region to receive the ISO 15189 accreditation for SARS-COV-2 PCR testing.

Quality Healthcare Awards Africa seeks to showcase the impact of the positive contributions of Kenyan healthcare providers by recognising outstanding performance, promoting a culture of continuous quality improvement, advocating for strong partnerships between health providers and users, fostering innovation and the use of information technology, sharing of best practices, uniting the public and private sectors towards a common goal and creating a platform for collaboration.

Download File

Pathologists Lancet Kenya, a leading pathology laboratory service provider in Kenya has embarked on an ambitious expansion drive with the opening of two new branches at South C in Nairobi and Nyali in Mombasa Counties respectively.

The two new facilities bring the total number of branches to 27 in a move that the health services provider believes will go a long way in supporting its ambition to bring healthcare services closer to Kenyans. The Nyali Branch is located at Total Energies, 2nd floor, opposite Masjid Umar Al Farouk along Links Road while the South C Branch is located at Lote Tree Medical Centre.

Commenting on this milestone, Pathologists Lancet Kenya Group CEO Mwende Musunga stated that the new branches will expand the group’s offering which focuses on value-add and convenience.

“The opening of these two centres supports our long-term vision of growing our footprint by offering world-class medical diagnostics laboratory services closer to our clients with more personalized and efficient customer service. Our customers in Nairobi and Mombasa Counties should now not get worried about having to walk long distances in search of quality diagnostic services,” Mwende said.

The fully-fledged laboratories will offer routine, specialised tests and services that include free courier sample collection, roaming phlebotomy services and home collection services.