Trefor Higgins

TL;DR: The availability of HPLC has streamlined many of these requirements, allowing an efficient stepwise diagnostic strategy for these complex disorders, and several guidelines have been published that outline the required steps for hemoglobinopathy and thalassemia investigation.

TL;DR: Some current HbA(1c) methods show clinically significant interferences with samples containing HbE or HbD traits, and ion-exchange chromatograms must be carefully examined to identify possible interference from these Hb variants.

TL;DR: Differences in assay specificity and in composition of the calibrators are the most likely sources of between-method variation among commercial human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) assays.

TL;DR: This review summarizes existing evidence supporting the impact of laboratory medicine in healthcare and indicates the gaps in understanding, identifies deficiencies in current utilization, suggests potential solutions, and offers a vision of a future in which laboratory medicine is used optimally to support patient care.

TL;DR: Although most methods can measure HbA(1c) accurately in patients with renal failure, healthcare providers must interpret these test results cautiously in these patients due to the propensity for shortened erythrocyte survival in renal failure.