28 June 2015 (Sunday) - On Facebook

This cell appeared on a Facebook group to which I subscribe. So what is it? Definitely myeloid… More myelocyte than pro-myelocyte but definitely odd-looking.

Perhaps the suggestions of a giraffe eating a doughnut aren’t that far off target?

26 June 2015 (Friday) - Sick Sinus Syndrome

A diagnosis I’d not seen before; Sick Sinus Syndrome. Sick sinus syndrome, (also called sinus node dysfunction), is an umbrella term for a group of arrhythmias seeming to be caused by a malfunction of the sinus node, the heart's primary pacemaker.
It is often associated with ischaemic heart disease and valvular lesions.
Bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome is a variant of sick sinus syndrome in which slow arrhythmias and fast arrhythmias alternate.

Didn’t know that….


25 June 2015 (Thursday) - Artificial Blood

Here’s a depressing article. Artificial blood will be undergoing clinical trials in less than two years. Whilst it can only be a good thing for those needing blood transfusions, quite frankly I’m the wrong side of fifty to be being made redundant. From a purely personal point of view I can only hope that these trials drag on until I am safely retired.

Mind you I can remember when I started in this line of work (in 1981) being told of dogs in Japan having been kept alive on artificial blood for months.


23 June 2015 (Tuesday) - IBMS Newsletter

The IBMS Newsletter came through via email this morning…. I was already drafting an entry for this blog whinging about how I’ve found several IBMS Gazettes (or whatever they call it these days) still in their wrappers. My argument was that I don’t read magazines and how they should send it in e-format.
I glanced at this morning’s E-newsletter… it didn’t grip me. In fact one of the few articles which were actually about science and technology (as opposed to paper-pushing) was that article from I “F” love science I blogged about last week.


18 June 2015 (Thursday) - Death of a White Cell

From the Facebook Group “I F@!@ Love Science “ came a rather interesting article about the death of white cells.

In a world first, scientists have managed to film a time-lapse video of the death of a white blood cell. What they’ve discovered is that in its final moments of life, it tries to warn the rest of the immune system to the presence of its killer.


Obviously sexed up for the layman, its still rather interesting…

16 June 2015 (Tuesday) - Learning from Incidents

An email came around listing various incidents which have happened in the Trust. I’m not going to reproduce that list here; but suffice it to say there are always lessons to be learned…

15 June 2015 (Monday) - NHS England Newsletter

NHS England send out emails every day to me. I always read through them but..... took at today's...

Fast tracking on-line services, replacing SEN statements, proposed changes to national SOPs, public workshops.... I've got a lump in my neck that won't go away. Will any of this do anything about getting my lump sorted?


Latest news

Transforming services for people with learning disability

NHS England has established f….

Accessing GP services online

The number of GPs offering …

Replacing Statements of Special Educational Need (SEN)

Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) are replacing Statements of Special Educational Need…

Get involved

Consultation on Proposed Changes to Standard Operating Procedures: The Cancer Drugs Fund for 2015/16…

Devices Expert Advisory Committee (DEAC) seeking to appoint…

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Posted: 12 Jun 2015 01:51 AM PDT

NHS England’s Equality Lead, Dr Habib Naqvi, explains why next week’s Windrush and Diversity Celebration is so important to the NHS and society today……..




10 June 2015 (Wednesday) - New BCSH Guidelines


·   Management of AML in pregnancy
·   Guidelines on cancer and thrombosis
·   Clinical use of apheresis procedures for the treatment of patients and collection of cellular therapy products 


More clinical than practical-lab-based, but always interesting...

8 June 2015 (Monday) - Bloodmed Newsletter

I was rather excited by today’s email from bloodmed (dot com) The news section had articles on News paternal age linked to blood cancer risk, an equation describing blood flow and how breast-feeding may prevent leukemia
The articles were quite interesting, but I was rather keen to look at the Trainees and CPD  section as (apparently)  new content had been added.

I clicked – nothing happened….


It says somewhere in the CPD regulations that I’m supposed to try to do CPD – sometimes it’s not successful.

7 June 2015 (Sunday) - On The Night Shift

Last night I had an interesting case; young (ish) lad with sore throat and raised glands. Raised monocytes on the blood count prompted me to make a blood film. Characteristic cells seen under the microscope meant I performed a glandular fever test. Positive.
I felt rather smug with myself as I phoned the Emergency Care Centre with the news. the staff there were also pleased with my findings.
This morning on the Medical Laboratory Science Facebook group I saw that someone else on their night shift had had another case which was instantly identifiable.


Not that I have any choice in the matter, but I'd rather find glandular fever any day (or night
 


5 June 2015 (Friday) - HCPC Newsletter

The HCPC “In Focus” newsletter came out today. Previously I’ve been rather scathing about the thing.
I’m afraid I’m going to be so again. There was *very* little of relevance to me. Orthoptists and paramedics subs are due. The Chair of Council is stepping down. The consultation on the revised Standards of conduct, performance and ethics continues. The annual subscription is going up by twelve per cent (which I think is a bit steep!)…. And so it went on. Nothing really noteworthy.


But on the positive side today’s newsletter had a survey about how they might improve future editions. I said I wanted more information directly relevant to me and what I do. 
Is that so much to ask?

2 June 2015 (Tuesday) - e-learning

Today I did e-learning. The annual review of Anti-D, Good Manufacturing Practice and Safe Transfusion Practice.

All valuable refreshers, but (at the risk of appearing negative) revising knowledge is rather dull compared to learning something new…

1 June 2015 (Monday) - Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

Whilst on a day being a clinical chemist we had a sample with a diagnosis I’ve not seen before.
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is a disorder of the electrical systems of the heart and consequently electrolyte balance is of prime importance in such a condition.


Apparently the famous singer Meat Loaf suffers from it. Usually such an admission would breach all sorts of medical confidences… but I read that on Wiikipedia (so it must be true!)