LabNotes - Volume 17, No. 7, 2007

From The Editor

In this issue of LabNotes, we focus on an area of the hospital that is often prone to preanalytical variables when blood is being drawn—the Emergency Department. Our feature article highlights several of these variables and offers suggestions on how to address these concerns. We hope you will find this information useful in your facility.

We are pleased to provide an overview of one of our newest products, the BD Microtainer® Contact-Activated Lancet. This unique new device activates when pressed against the patient’s skin, giving you a more accurate incision when performing a skin puncture.

Also in this issue, we share the results of our last reader survey regarding urine culture contamination. Take a look—you may find some of the responses surprising. Please note the online reader survey in this issue, where we ask for your opinions on capillary blood collection. We look forward to recieving your responses. Thank you to all who have participated in these past surveys as we greatly value the opinions of our readers.

Ana Stankovic, MD, PhD, MSPH
Editor
Worldwide Vice President, Medical and Clinical Affairs
BD Diagnostics - Preanalytical Systems

Associate Editor
Leslie S. Magee, MBA, MT(ASCP)

Production Coordinator
Marion Plumley

Address all correspondence to: Leslie Magee, Associate Editor, LabNotes, BD Diagnostics - Preanalytical Systems, 1 Becton Drive MC325, Franklin Lakes, NJ USA 07417-1885.