Newspapers / InterCom (Durham, N.C.) / Dec. 1, 1964, edition 1 / Page 2
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Page 2 Duke University Medical Center, InterGom Until recently, however, machines capable of handling simnltaneoiisly more than four of the major determi nations were not available. Prior to the development of such instruments Dr. Thiers and his associates as sembled their own “10 channel” de vice from available separate com- j)onents. Essentially, it is a battery of autoanalyzers set up to work to gether. Forty test tubes containing blood samples and standards arc placed in a rack, and the blood, fed out through fine plastic tubing, is forced by a series of pumps through a dialyzer, through appropriate re agents, and depending upon the de termination, through the flame pho tometer, fluorometer, or one of seven colorimeters. Results are recorded on charts by five twin-pen recorders. At present the machine can analyse 40 samph^s an hour. Experiments are underway to increase the number to 60 per hour. During the year in which the ma chine was being developed, it was tested for accuracy and precision. The device was used to do determina tions on the blood of all patients who entered the hospital during a i>eriod of about ten weeks—v/ith the permis sion of their physicians—and the re sults of these tests were compared with results from blood chemistry tests specifically ordered by the pa tients ’ physicians. Of each 1,000 patients who entered the hospital. Dr. Thiers said, specific tests were ordered by physicians on 470 of them and abnormalities were found in 150. The automated instru ment also detected the abnormalities in the same 150 patients, but in addi tion, abnormalities were discovered in 210 other patients and reported to their doctors. Physicians requested a total of 2,900 tests on 1,000 patients—an average of 2.9 per patient—and a total of 321 abnormal blood chemis try levels wei'e found in 150 patients. The automated instrument turned out 11,000 tests on 1,000 patients and discovered the 321 abnormalities found by the routine tests |)liis another 365 abnormalities on differ ent blood chemistry determinations. Dr. Thiers said that a similar study Public Relations Office Established In November of 1963, Duke Uni versity Medical Center established an Office of Public Relations. The first position in this office was filled by Miss Virginia Swain, who joined the Medical Center staff as a Public Relations Assistant. Miss Virginia Swain Avas done with the machine at a large hospital in a nearby community and discrepancies of even greater magni tude were noted. Three times as many patients with chemical abnor malities were uncovered by the auto mated analyzer as were revealed by standard laboratory procedures. Abnormalities detected by the au tomated tests were sent to the phy sicians of all ])atients. Doctors at Duke indicated that 53 per cent of the unsuspected results turned u]) by automation were significant to the care of their patients and five per cent were not significant. There was no comment on 42 per cent of the results. As Dr. Thiers notes, “Doc tors, like most other people, are al lergic to paper work.” On the basis of this study, Dr. Thiers believes that the automation techni()ue can “dramatically” cut the time and ex])ense involved in the diagnosis of many ]>atients and may lead to the discovery of many con- Miss Swain’s duties, although var ied, are for the most part in the field of Medical C’enter publications. For the past year, most of her time has been spent working with revision of existing Medical Center publications (and other printed matter) and the creation of new publications. A “job description” of her posi tion, based on the activities of this past year, would include: serving as a “liaison” between the Medical Center and the printer helping with preparations for visit ing tour groups answering re(}uests for general in formation about Duke Medical Center working with various promotional activities for Health Careers for North Carolina. The present Office of Public Rela tions is located in room 323 Baker House; extension 4148. Miss Swain received her A.B. de gree in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in January, 1963. Before joining the Medical Center staff, she was em ployed as Assistant to the Woman’s Editor of the Baleigh Times. ditions in their early stages before clear-cut symj)toms occur. A whole battery of tests can now be made available to i>atients at a significantly lower cost and little inconvenience. The sensitivity of individual chemi cal tests will be increased through the improved accuracy made possi ble by multiple testing with antonui- tion. More information about chemi cal variations in normal peo])le will be ]>rovided. A further benefit will be the release of highly (jnalified laboratory technologists—who are iii short supply—to perform supervisory rather than manual tasks. Dr. Thiers goes on to say, “Multi channel automation is more than just a revolution in laboratory tech niques. Ultimately, I believe this approach, by providing far more complete information to the physi cian when he first examines the pa tient, will alter traditional methods of diagnosis.”
InterCom (Durham, N.C.)
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Dec. 1, 1964, edition 1
2
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