Category: in the know

The field of molecular diagnostics, which uses biological analysis to detect specific sequences in DNA or RNA that might be associated with disease, is growing rapidly.

The rapid improvement in workflow and turnaround time for most molecular testing methods has provided promising results. These tools now have the potential to replace many conventional microbiology laboratory assays. Developments in technology have also resulted in more user-friendly testing platforms that are automated, have lower risks for contamination and have the ability to deliver faster results.

Molecular methodologies offer numerous advantages to the clinical laboratory. These include:

Sensitivity: Amplification methodologies are particularly useful in increasing the sensitivity of a methodology and useful in the identification of target molecules of interest that are only present in low concentrations.

Specificity: Molecular methods minimize false positive test results by targeting the specific molecule of interest.

Turn Around Time: In comparison with standard traditional culture methods, molecular methodologies usually offer better turn around times from receipt to result reporting.

Application: broader application can be found with molecular methodologies such as infectious diseases, genetic testing, forensics, drug resistance, and tumor marker detection and monitoring.

 

Scan Lab is proud to be offering this. Contact us for more details.

The liver is an organ about the size of a football that sits just under your rib cage on the right side of your abdomen. The liver is essential for digesting food and ridding your body of toxic substances.

Liver disease can be inherited (genetic) or caused by a variety of factors that damage the liver, such as viruses and alcohol use. Obesity is also associated with liver damage.

Over time, damage to the liver results in scarring (cirrhosis), which can lead to liver failure, a life-threatening condition.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of liver disease include:

• Skin and eyes that appear yellowish (jaundice)
• Abdominal pain and swelling
• Swelling in the legs and ankles
• Itchy skin
• Dark urine color
• Pale stool color, or bloody or tar-colored stool
• Chronic fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Tendency to bruise easily

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any persistent signs or symptoms that worry you. Seek immediate medical attention if you have abdominal pain that is so severe that you can’t stay still.

We have been exposed to ‘mercury’ in our sugar, aflatoxin in our maize, chemicals in bananas and vegetables, “mafuta ya transformer” in our chips kuku and God knows what else… no wonder we have lifestyle diseases breaking out everywhere affecting the young population.
The kidneys filter out impurities in our bodies and their functionality is affected by what we ingest. Kidneys control many critical functions in our bodies e.g;
• Production of red blood cells
• Controlling blood pressure
• Maintaining chemical balance in the body
When kidneys are not working properly, waste products and fluid can build up to dangerous levels and cause serious health problems. The worst cases may require critical intervention in form of dialysis or transplant.
So…, jokes aside, check your kidney function regularly, it could literally save your life.

As a parent, you want to be able to protect your child from getting hurt, but sometimes it feels impossible to avoid the bumps, bruises and broken bones.

If you suspect that you child might have a fracture but he or she is still moving the arm or leg normally and is not in much pain, a call to the pediatrician may be in order. Your child’s doctor may order an X-ray. If the X-ray shows a fracture, you will then be referred to an emergency department or orthopedic office for treatment.

If your child has an injury, is in significant pain and there is a deformity, it is important to go directly to the emergency department. With severe fractures, there is a chance of nerve damage or damage to blood vessels, so they need to be checked out right away.

“If you are concerned that your child has a broken bone, stabilize the arm or leg as best you can. It will make the car ride to the emergency department easier,” explains Kelly Levasseur, D.O., pediatric emergency physician at Beaumont Children’s. “If it’s necessary, call an ambulance and they can bring your child to the emergency department and will be able to give pain medication during the trip.”

At Beaumont, if a child comes in with a suspected broken bone, they are brought straight back to a room and are seen by a provider. If needed, pain medication is given quickly. Our goal is to keep children as comfortable as possible.

Check out our advice to care for a broken bone, so your child can heal quickly and get back to running, playing and having fun:

Expect some pain or soreness during the first few days.

You child could experience some pain or soreness during the first few days after a break. Your doctor might prescribe a pain reliever or recommend over-the-counter options to help.

Splint first, cast second.

A doctor might use a splint at first to wait for swelling to go down before putting a cast on a broken bone. Take care of the injury in the meantime by resting, elevating it while sleeping and icing as directed.

Pay attention to fingers and toes.

After your child has gotten a cast on, notice any reactions in their fingers and toes. Promptly contact a doctor if there is any change in color, numbness or swelling that occurs.

These reactions could be a sign of a cast that is too tight or an indication that the extremity is swelling a lot. Also, your child will want to wiggle their toes or fingers every so often to keep from getting stiff.

Combat an itchy cast with cool air.

Don’t try to scratch an itch by sticking a pen or ruler into a cast. Instead, use a hair dryer’s cool setting to blow cool air into the opening of the cast to relieve the itch.

Let a doctor make any adjustments.

Although it is tempting to mindlessly pick at the edge of a cast, ensure that your child is not picking at or removing any padding. Picking could result in jagged edges that can irritate the skin, and a doctor should make any adjustments to the padding.

Keep the cast or splint clean.

Your child will still want to play outside or spend a summer day at the beach, but emphasize the importance of keeping the cast or splint clean from dirt, sand, deodorants or lotions.

Only some casts can get wet.

Often, fiberglass casts can handle wetness, while plaster casts should be kept away from water. Leave a cast out of the tub and wrap the cast in plastic before a shower.

If the cast gets wet you should call your orthopedic physician to determine if you need to be seen and get a new cast.  Your child might experience redness or raw skin from sweat or water that’s gotten the cast wet.

“If a splint is placed, it is important that it does not get wet or come off,” notes Dr. Levasseur. “If it gets wet, you may need to go to the orthopedist’s office or come back to the emergency department for a new one.”

Decorate away!

While your child waits for a broken bone to heal, doctors will usually give you the okay to decorate your cast. Encourage friends to sign it, create drawings or add stickers.

Taking care of a broken bone and the cast or splint is important and will help your child’s recovery stay on track.

Think ahead.

Thinking ahead is a key component to being prepared for any potential emergency situation. Think about which emergency room you would prefer for your family. Is it a dedicated pediatric emergency room with technology, specialists and programs just for kids? Is it important to you that if your child needs to be admitted he or she stay close to home at the hospital connected to the emergency room? In Oakland County, the only specialized pediatric emergency units attached to a hospital with children’s inpatient care are at Beaumont – in Royal Oak and in Troy.

Considering these important questions in advance of an emergency will help you remain calm and make the best possible decision for your child.

Trust your instincts.

Planning ahead and educating yourself will help you make good decisions when it comes to childhood emergencies. But, don’t underestimate the value of trusting your instincts either. If you feel your child needs to get to the emergency room, there’s a good chance you’re right. You know your child the best. You’re the best one to make that decision.

Gut bacteria—the trillions of microorganisms living in your digestive tract—may not be the sexiest subject, but it’s a hot topic in the health world lately. And for good reason: Over the past decade, research has brought to light how your gut microbiome (that’s what science types call it) plays a role in almost every aspect of health, including digestion, immunity, fat storage, and heart health.

Studies suggest a healthy gut may even help clear up skin conditions, such as eczema and acne, and may make you less susceptible to stress, anxiety, and depression—a finding that’s earned the microbiome the nickname “second brain.”

Like most things in life, it’s all about balance: You want the “good” bacteria (like lactobacillus) to outweigh the “bad” bacteria. If this balance is thrown off, it can lead to a compromised immune system, inflammation, more fat storage, and other adverse effects.

Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as simply letting the good bacteria flourish. There’s a lot out of your control that affects your microbiome—such as where you live, where you were raised, and personal lifestyle. But there is one major way to influence your gut health that’s 100-percent in your control: what you eat.

Certainly, there are foods you should be eating (think: yogurt and fermented foods like kimchi or sauerkraut) to boost gut health. But there’s another important piece of the puzzle: Cutting back on particular foods is also crucial to ensure a happy homeostasis for those microscopic bugs. Here are the top three.

1. Conventional Meats and Poultry

At some point, we’ve all taken a course of antibiotics, which are designed to do pretty much what it sounds like: kill bacteria. But antibiotics don’t discriminate—they go after good and bad bacteria alike. While you shouldn’t refuse the meds your doc prescribes, research shows consuming antibiotics when unnecessary can do serious damage to your gut flora.

If you’re eating meat from livestock that’s been treated with antibiotics, you may be exposed to extra antibiotics without realizing it, studies suggest. While the use of some antimicrobial drugs in livestock to treat diseases is approved by the FDA, concerns arise when they’re used to help animals gain weight or when drugs intended for human consumption are given to animals, which has been linked to antibiotic resistance in humans. These concerns have prompted some of the biggest poultry producers in the U.S., including Perdue and Tyson, to resolve to curtail antibiotic use in their chickens.

The best way to avoid antibiotic-raised meat? Buy organic, says Brooke Alpert, M.S., R.D., a Culturelle spokesperson. It’s pricier than the conventional kind, but you can make it easier on your wallet by going to a local butcher or farmer’s market, or buying in bulk and freezing leftovers for later, Alpert says. “Natural” can also be less pricey and still “antibiotic free,” but not always. Do a little digging, Alpert suggests: “If the labeling says specifically ‘no hormones’ and ‘no antibiotics,’ you’re in the clear.

2. Artificial Sweeteners

If you thought fake sugar was a miracle sent from heaven to make all things sweeter sans calories, think again, Alpert says. Research suggests that sucralose—the main ingredient in Splenda—can significantly alter the balance of bacteria in the microbiome. In one small study, after consuming artificial sweeteners for just one week, many of the participants began to develop glucose intolerance—the first step on a path to metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and a host of other health issues. “It’s scary that one food additive can have that big of an influence on your gut,” Alpert says.

And there are plenty of ways to sweeten things up without resorting to the fake stuff—here are 30 smart substitutes. Not that we’re not giving you the go-ahead to eat all the real sugar you want: Since bad bacteria feed off sugars, a diet high in real sugars has also been linked to an off-balance microbiome, so you’ll still want to cut back on any kind of sweet stuff, Alpert says.

3. Genetically Modified Soy

While fermented soy is good for you, it may be wise to cut back on soy products that have been genetically modified (GM)—and if you’re eating them in the U.S., they most likely have been, as 94 percent of soybeans in America are GM. GMO food is a point of contention in the national health conversation, but that’s another story altogether. The point here is that the herbicide used on GMO crops (a.k.a. Roundup) has been shown to kill off many species of beneficial gut bacteria in animals (but not enough evidence conclusively shows the same for humans). While research in this area is still ongoing, there aren’t many good reasons to choose to eat GM soy. It also contains phytic acid, which messes with digestion and has been linked to gastric issues, such as gas and bloating.

The Bottom Line

If you’ve been chowing down on conventional chicken, Splenda, and soy products on the reg, don’t freak out—it’s not the worst thing you can do for your health. But if you’ve been experiencing symptoms like wacky digestive issues (gas or bloating) or fatigue, these are signs that your gut isn’t as healthy as it could be, Alpert says. Get your bacteria back on track by cutting back on the above items, adding in beneficial foods for your gut, and taking a probiotic supplement.

What can I do to reduce my risk of breast cancer?

Lifestyle changes have been shown in studies to decrease breast cancer risk even in high-risk women. The following are steps you can take to lower your risk:

• Limit alcohol. The more alcohol you drink, the greater your risk of developing breast cancer. The general recommendation — based on research on the effect of alcohol on breast cancer risk — is to limit yourself to less than 1 drink per day as even small amounts increase risk.
• Don’t smoke. Accumulating evidence suggests a link between smoking and breast cancer risk, particularly in premenopausal women. In addition, not smoking is one of the best things you can do for your overall health.
• Control your weight. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of breast cancer. This is especially true if obesity occurs later in life, particularly after menopause.
• Be physically active. Physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight, which, in turn, helps prevent breast cancer. For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity weekly, plus strength training at least twice a week.
• Breast-feed. Breast-feeding might play a role in breast cancer prevention. The longer you breast-feed, the greater the protective effect.
• Limit dose and duration of hormone therapy. Combination hormone therapy for more than three to five years increases the risk of breast cancer. If you’re taking hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms, ask your doctor about other options. You might be able to manage your symptoms with nonhormonal therapies and medications. If you decide that the benefits of short-term hormone therapy outweigh the risks, use the lowest dose that works for you and continue to have your doctor monitor the length of time you are taking hormones.
• Avoid exposure to radiation and environmental pollution. Medical-imaging methods, such as computerized tomography, use high doses of radiation. While more studies are needed, some research suggests a link between breast cancer and radiation exposure. Reduce your exposure by having such tests only when absolutely necessary.

Can a healthy diet prevent breast cancer?

Eating a healthy diet might decrease your risk of some types of cancer, as well as diabetes, heart disease and stroke. For example, women who eat a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil and mixed nuts might have a reduced risk of breast cancer. The Mediterranean diet focuses on mostly on plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. People who follow the Mediterranean diet choose healthy fats, like olive oil, over butter and fish instead of red meat.

Maintaining a healthy weight also is a key factor in breast cancer prevention.

Is there a link between birth control pills and breast cancer?

There’s some evidence that hormonal contraception, which includes birth control pills and intrauterine devices (IUDs) that release hormones, increases the risk of breast cancer. But the risk is considered very small, and it decreases after you stop using hormonal contraceptives.

A recent study that indicated an association between hormonal contraceptive use and breast cancer determined one additional breast cancer could be expected for every 7,690 women who use hormonal contraception for at least one year.

Discuss your contraceptive options with your health care provider based on your particular needs. Also consider the benefits of hormonal contraception, such as controlling menstrual bleeding and reducing the risk of other cancers, including endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer.

What else can I do?

Be vigilant about breast cancer detection. If you notice any changes in your breasts, such as a new lump or skin changes, consult your doctor. Also, ask your doctor when to begin mammograms and other screenings based on your personal history.

Antenatal profile: a group of laboratory tests done during pregnancy to ensure the well being of the mother and baby. These include:
1. Screening for anemia (hemoglobin test)
2. Screening for blood group incompatibility
3. Screening for infectious diseases which can be transmitted to the child (HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis)
4. Testing urine for “silent” urinary tract infection.
5. Blood sugar testing to screen for diabetes in pregnancy.
Should there be a problem in any one of them, appropriate action can be taken.
It is important that every expectant lady undergoes these tests. Visit us at Polo Centre or Baraka Plaza along Kenyatta Avenue, Nakuru to have the tests done or call 0711443673 for sample collection from the convenience of your office / home.

An annual wellness check up is a set of examinations done to establish ones state of health at a point in time while also alerting to any areas of concern before one becomes symptomatic. Annual wellness check up entails a series of physical, laboratory and radiological evaluation. Some of the tests in these evaluations include; blood pressure, BMI assessment, Diabetes check, Liver and kidney functions check, breast/prostate/cervical cancer screens. Any abnormal results will be communicated to the client and if any remedial action is to be taken, proper advice will be given on whom to see thereafter. Annual wellness check up is for everyone. At Scanlab we do have wellness packages that are categorized into four groups: Above 50years (Male and Female) and Below 50 years (Male and Female).

Always remember; the goal of wellness check up is for any abnormal results to be picked up before one can feel the symptoms e.g. if one has a breast lump, we want to see it on mammogram or ultrasound before one can actually physically feel it. At this point management is always easier.

DID YOU KNOW?
Do you have the urge to eat soil or stones? Are you easily exhausted when doing tasks that others perform effortlessly? Do you frequently feel dizzy? The haemoglobin (Hb) test may be appropriate for you to evaluate for the presence or absence of anemia. Anemia refers to a low haemoglobin level.

Hemoglobin is a protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to tissues and carbon dioxide from tissues to the lungs. A lower than normal result indicates that you have anemia. The “normal range” differs by age and gender and the appropriate range is supplied on our reports with your results. The test can be performed as part of a complete blood count (CBC) to check your overall health or to diagnose a medical condition. If you have anemia, your attending medical practitioner may want to evaluate the haemoglobin test results along with those of other tests.