Medical Venesection - Iron Overload / Polycythaemia
September 02, 2021
Pathlab Waikato previously operated a Venesection service under the direction and control of the referring clinician, with oversight by our service. During the COVID lockdown period, and at the direction of the National Haematologist advisory group, medical venesection for iron overload was restricted to those patients with ferritin >1000 μg/L. Implementation of this direction required an audit of…
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COVID-19 Patient & Healthcare Worker Safety
August 30, 2021
There appears to be confusion still regarding appropriate urgent or acute testing and routine testing requests. As per the lock-down levels last year, Pathlab laboratories ask please that all requestors ensure that they choose wisely. Choose Wisely The term ‘choose wisely’ now has a very different interpretation so before requesting any laboratory
investigation tests during alert levels 4 or…
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Microbiology requesting during COVID-19 testing surge
August 23, 2021
The current community outbreak of the COVID-19 Delta variant has caused a huge surge in local demand for SARS-CoV-2 testing, averaging over 2000 tests per day over the past 5 days for Pathlab. Other microbiology and molecular requests need to be urgently reduced in order to re-allocate staff for COVID testing. We would ask please that all “routine” testing is minimised as much as possible. Please…
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COVID-19 Level 4 Laboratory Information 2
August 20, 2021
Reduction in Community Collection Facilities COVID surveillance swabbing is available tomorrow Saturday 21st August 2021 and Sunday 22nd August at the dedicated CTC in the parking building at Tauranga Crossing shopping centre. OPEN - 8.30am – 3.00pm. We will advise if this will continue past Sunday. Effective Monday 23rd August 2021: Katikati: OPEN Monday, Wednesday, Friday, CLOSED Tuesday…
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COVID-19 Level 4 Laboratory Services
August 18, 2021
Hospital and community laboratories nationwide have been instructed to reduce non-essential testing in efforts to conserve reagents, cope with staff shortages and mobilise the workforce for COVID-19. Reduction in Community Collection Facilities With the move to Alert Level 4 at 11.59pm Tuesday August 17th, there will be closures of a few of our collection facilities, as follows: Bay of Plenty…
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