Evaluation of Elecsys Syphilis Assay for Routine and Blood Screening and Detection of Early Infection.

Treponema pallidum infections can have severe complications if not diagnosed and treated at an early stage. Screening and diagnosis of syphilis require assays with high specificity and sensitivity. The Elecsys Syphilis assay is an automated treponemal immunoassay for the detection of antibodies against T. pallidum The performance of this assay was investigated previously in a multicenter study. The current study expands on that evaluation in a variety of diagnostic settings and patient populations, at seven independent laboratories. The samples included routine diagnostic samples, blood donation samples, samples from patients with confirmed HIV infections, samples from living organ or bone marrow donors, and banked samples, including samples previously confirmed as syphilis positive. This study also investigated the seroconversion sensitivity of the assay. With a total of 1,965 syphilis-negative routine diagnostic samples and 5,792 syphilis-negative samples collected from blood donations, the Elecsys Syphilis assay had specificity values of 99.85% and 99.86%, respectively. With 333 samples previously identified as syphilis positive, the sensitivity was 100% regardless of disease stage. The assay also showed 100% sensitivity and specificity with samples from 69 patients coinfected with HIV. The Elecsys Syphilis assay detected infection in the same bleed or earlier, compared with comparator assays, in a set of sequential samples from a patient with primary syphilis. In archived serial blood samples collected from 14 patients with direct diagnoses of primary syphilis, the Elecsys Syphilis assay detected T. pallidum antibodies for 3 patients for whom antibodies were not detected with the Architect Syphilis TP assay, indicating a trend for earlier detection of infection, which may have the potential to shorten the time between infection and reactive screening test results.

[Perioperative transfusion of erythrocyte concentrates during elective surgery: introduction of a protocol for indications]. / Transfusión perioperatoria de concentrado de hematíes en cirugía programada: introducción de un protocolo de indicaciones.

PURPOSE: The aim of this paper is, first, to know the actual situation of the perioperatory red cell transfusion for elective surgery in our hospital. In a second phase and prospectively, we tested guidelines for red cell perioperatory transfusion in order to observe the change of transfusions. Then, we compared the results between the basal and postintervention periods. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed an aleatory assay with two periods, basal and interventionist. Basal period: 151 patients undergoing elective surgery with perioperatory blood requested and general anesthesia. Intervention period: We applied a transfusion guidelines protocol for perioperatory red cell transfusion from the Hospital's Transfusion Committee, also a questionnaire to evaluate the medical indication; We studied 164 patients with clinical features like the basal period. Study/results variables: preoperative blood request, perioperatively transfusion, number of packed red-cell units transfused, crossmatch--to--transfusion ratio, haemoglobin level pre and posttransfusion. RESULTS: No significant drop of the cross match-transfusion ratio was observed after intervention. There is a slight reduction of the crossmatch--to--transfusion ratio, although these value is high (4.48), due to an increase of the transfusion keeping the percentage of appropriate transfusions. The most frequent reason (53%) of inadequate transfusion is the active bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: 1) The transfusional activity of the Marina Alta Hospital supposes approximately 17% of the request and 6% of the global transfusion. 2) The introduction of a protocol of perioperative transfusion instructions suppose a small decrease of the crossmatch--to--transfusion ratio, without statistical significance. This slight reduction is due to an increase of transfusion in the post-intervention period, since in this period there is a group of older age patients and with greater percentage of associated pathology. 3) The rate of appropriate transfusions in both periods is similar. 4) The preoperative request of red cells is inappropriate. 5) The most frequent reason of inappropriate transfusion is active bleeding.

[Thrombosis of the pulmonary artery associated with maternal deficiency of antithrombin III]. / Trombosis de la arteria pulmonar asociada a déficit materno de antitrombina III.

Authors report a case of newborn with thrombosis of the pulmonary artery, probably caused by a maternal deficit of antithrombin III. Deficit of antithrombin III (AT III) as the possible cause of thrombosis is discussed.