Syphilis is a systemic sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. The disease can be transmitted through sexual contact (person to person) or vertically from an infected mother to her unborn child. Despite reaching its lowest rate in 2000-2001, incidences of syphilis have risen significantly since 2001. According to the 2022 CDC
The production of urine and the removal of waste products from the body is based on filtering blood through the glomerular membrane in the kidneys. The best assessment to measure how much blood the kidneys filter each minute is to use what is referred to as the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR). The ability to
Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). A person infected with MTB might end up with TB disease with clinical, radiographic, and microbiological evidence of tuberculosis, or will have no clinical evidence of TB disease and would be considered latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI); however, about 10% with LTBI will progress or
Respiratory tract infection is one of the most frequent and fatal infections in the geriatric population. Long-term Care Facilities (LTCF) residents are prone to infection because of the decrease in their immunity, their impaired cognitive function, frailty, congregated setting, the kinds of medication taken, and the presence of many underlying factors like diabetes or
Published December 2020 as part of Aculabs’ LabTalk quarterly newsletter. Aculabs will be offering a Reticulocyte Comprehensive Panel – the panel can provide comprehensive information needed by physicians to assess the rate of red cell production and hemoglobinization. Reticulocyte count (RET #, %) indicates the quantity of circulating reticulocytes. The Immature Reticulocyte Fraction (IRF) indicates
Antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system in response to infection, often within the first week of post-symptoms onset. There are several forms of antibodies: IgG, IgM, IgA, as well as other forms. However, not all antibodies are created equal; some are considered to be binding antibody and some are neutralizing. A neutralizing
Published September 2018 as part of Aculabs' LabTalk quarterly newsletter. Laboratory errors have been reported to be 0.012-0.6%; errors due to interference are less than 0.078%. One of the causes of interference in a laboratory is Biotin. - National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements. Biotin, known as vitamin B7 or vitamin
Published July 2018 as part of Aculabs' LabTalk quarterly newsletter. Anemia is very common in the geriatric population; several studies have shown that the prevalence of anemia increases with advancing in age, the increase start at the age of 65 and rises sharply after the age of 80. To diagnose anemia, physicians rely heavily on
Originally published in LabTalk (Volume 4, Issue 3, 2009), the quarterly newsletter of Aculabs. Novel H1N1 virus, known to be an influenza A-subtype, was originally referred to as “swine flu” because it is very similar to influenza viruses normally occurring in North American pigs (swine). Flu viruses are mainly spread from person to person through
Originally published in LabTalk (Volume 4, Issue 2, 2009), the quarterly newsletter of Aculabs. Vitamin D has been well known for its role in bone metabolism; however, the important role of vitamin D beyond that was the discovery of the 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D nuclear receptor in most tissue. Increased interest in vitamin D introduced the recent