18 July 2023 (Tuesday) - Westgard Update

 

The nice people at Westgard QC sent their update today. You can read it by clicking here. Go on – click there. Much of the stuff I reproduce here is because I feel I should and because if (when) I get called up for CPD assessment it is the sort of thing that an assessor will want to see.

However the Westgard QC newsletter is something of an exception in that it is directly relevant to what I do every day.

12 July 2023 (Wednesday) - UKAS Update

 

The nice people at the UK Accreditation Service sent their update today. You can read it by clicking here.

In theory accreditation is a brilliant idea… in practice I can’t help but feel that the advantages get lost in the paperwork… I wish someone would show me where I’m wrong in thinking this.

10 July 2023 (Monday) - Fritsma Factor Newsletter

 

 
 The Fritsma Factor newsletter appeared in my in-box today… I say “today” – it appeared on this date whilst I was away on holiday, but I record the date when I got the thing…
Anyway…
You can read it by clicking here. As always I like the Fritsma Factor newsletter as it isn’t massively long. I could read it all in a few minutes… and that is good for me. CPD works if little and often. Or if not often, regular.

30 June 2023 (Friday) - NEQAS 2302 BF

The results of the most recent morphology NEQAS came in today:

2303 BF1

I said autoagglutination target cells spherocytes atypical lymphocytes smear cells thrombocytopenia ???  GF

Consensus View Agglutination Lymphocytosis Lobulated, Clover Leaf Lymphocytes Atypical/Suspect Reactive Lymphocytes Target cells

This was indeed a case of EBV infection

2302 PA2
 

I said rouleaux acanthocytes myeloblasts lymphocytosis some smear cells thrombocytopenia “this is nasty; the first one wasn’t”

Consensus View Thrombocytopenia Lymphocytosis Echinocytes/Crenated Cells Abnormal/Suspect Neoplastic Lymphocytes Cleft Nuclei

This was a case of CLL with an evolving MDS/AM

I’m happy with that…

30 June 2023 (Friday) - NEQAS 2302 PA

The results of the most recent parasitology NEQAS came in today:

2302 PA1

I said Wiggly worm thingy likely Loa loa

Consensus View Loa loa

2302 PA2

I said P falciparum (10%)

Consensus View P falciparum (9%)

I’m happy with that…

30 June 2023 (Friday) - A Case Study

 

The nice people at Lablogatory sent their update today - a very interesting case study of a haemoglobin S beta thalassemia compound heterozygosity in a 61 Year Old Female.

Back in the day I was quite the whizz at haemoglobinopthies…