The Daily Sign-Out

AABB Audioconferences for November: Hemorrhage in OB patients and cold agglutinins

AABB will host two audioconferences next month of interest pathologists who manage blood transfusion services.  A Nov. 3 audioconference will look at hemorrhaging in obstetric patients and describe OB transfusion protocols. Presenters will list the common causes of OB patients' hemorrhages and discuss preventive measures for these occurrences as well as review special transfusion requirements for these patients. A Nov. 17 session will provide an overview of cold agglutinins, including resolving cold-reacting allo and auto antibody issues, as well as typical clinical issues associated with cold agglutinins.

(I am a member of AABB but otherwise I gain no material benefit for passing along this info to you.)

Upcoming Audioconference: Integrated Breast Cancer Diagnostics

The Dark Report is presenting an audioconference on August 19, 2009 titled "Pathology and Radiology's Combined Future is Now at KU: How Integrated Breast Cancer Diagnostics are Improving Patient Care."

I am sponsoring this audioconference at my hospital.  The radiologists and I started a radiology-pathology monthly correlation conference last December as part of the radiology quality assurance process which has evolved into a monthly breast conference as part of our weekly Tumor Board Conference that now also attracts oncologists, surgeons, internists, nurses and others.  As I’m sure you are aware, the Dark Report, Dr. Bruce Friedman in LabSoftNews blog has written extensively on this for quite some time and, honestly, I thought it was so “out-there” that I was skeptical and dismissive.  My experience just with this conference and the fruitful, engaging, and instructive interaction with my colleagues opened my mind to the possibilites of integrating diagnostics, especially for breast and lung cancer diagnostics.

I'll be happy to share my summary and response to the audioconference.  Meanwhile, I encourage you pathologists to initiate a conversation with your radiology colleagues regarding integrated diagnostics.  We have much more in common that you might think--and this collaboration can really benefit our patients!