ORCID Profile
0000-0002-9790-2793
Current Organisation
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 03-05-2021
DOI: 10.1093/AJCP/AQAB026
Abstract: Pathology services are limited in most areas of sub-Saharan Africa. This study’s aim was to survey anatomic and clinical pathology services and laboratory infrastructure in Mozambique. A survey was conducted from October-December 2018 across the four central hospitals of Mozambique to determine infrastructure and pathology services available. Most laboratory athology services in Mozambique are limited to the four central hospitals. Only 14 pathologists practice in the country despite a population of 29.5 million for the world’s fifth worst workforce opulation ratio. Approximately 35,000 anatomic pathology specimens are evaluated annually. Standard services across chemistry, hematology, microbiology, and blood bank are available at the four central hospitals. Esoteric laboratory testing and immunohistochemistry are generally only available in Maputo. While most pathology services are available in Mozambique, many are available only at the Maputo laboratory. Expansion of pathology services and infrastructure will improve provision of effective and efficient health care as access to timely and accurate clinical diagnoses increases in Mozambique.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 05-05-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.04.30.20076703
Abstract: Hypercoagulability is becoming widely recognized as a major complication of COVID-19 infection as evidenced by high levels of fibrinogen degradation products and microthrombi identified within the lungs and kidneys of autopsy specimens from these patients. We report thromboelastography (TEG) testing on a cohort of patients with suspected COVID-19 infection at the time of admission to the intensive care unit. TEG testing was performed using the TEG 6s analyzer near or at the time of ICU admission. We also report the results of other coagulation or inflammatory related indices such as platelet count, prothrombin time, fibrinogen, D-dimer, C-reactive protein, ferritin, and procalcitonin. All laboratory testing was performed at the discretion of the attending physician in the course of normal patient care and retrospectively reviewed. We found that maximum clot strength was consistently elevated in COVID-19 patients while normal in all patients found to be negative. We did not encounter significant prolongations of coagulation assays outside of those expectedly prolonged by heparin therapy nor was meeting the criteria for disseminated intravascular coagulation encountered. We postulate that elevated maximum clot strength by TEG testing is predictive of COVID-19 status as within our cohort this perfectly predicted patients’ COVID-19 status despite a high level of suspicion in negative patients with normal TEG results. While these results require a larger cohort for confirmation, we feel that TEG testing could improve confidence in COVID-19 testing results in suspected patients possibly allowing for earlier de-escalation of infectious precautions and personal protective equipment utilization.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-11-2018
DOI: 10.1002/JCA.21663
Abstract: Red blood cell exchange (RCE) procedures are commonly used for stroke prevention in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. We compared two different dual lumen ports used for RCE because differences between the port and catheter design may lead to functional variance. We reviewed the RCE parameters of SCD patients following implantable port placement encountered at a single institution. Five Vortex and four Bard ports were used and compared. Patients were followed for 1-24 exchange procedures over 3-26 months performed between 2013 and 2015. Nine patients underwent 124 RCE procedures with no failures. A total of 74 exchanges used Vortex ports with a mean flow rate of 45.2 mL/min while 50 exchanges used Bard ports with a mean flow rate of 42.1 mL/min which was a significant difference (P = .002). A total of 85 exchanges with tPA administration preprocedure had a mean flow rate of 43.8 mL/min while 39 exchanges without had a mean flow rate of 45.4 mL/min which was not a significant difference (P = .19). Both the Bard and Vortex ports functioned well during our study period with no treatment failures, no significant complications requiring removal or replacement, and adequate mean flow rates. While the difference in mean flow rates was statistically significant between Vortex and Bard ports, there may not be a practical difference in performance. There also does not appear to be a significant benefit in flow rates with preprocedure tPA. We conclude that both ports may be a satisfactory choice for vascular access in SCD patients expected to undergo regularly scheduled RCE.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2021
Location: United States of America
Location: United States of America
No related grants have been discovered for Shaun Lawicki.