Sun Diagnostics

Sep 30, 2014

Testing for reproductive interference in the population dynamics of two congeneric species of herbivorous mites Manufacturers and clinical laboratories are doing a reasonably good job assessing endogenous interferents that may alter lab test results. The next big hurdle is the assessment of interference from common drugs. There are literally hundreds of drugs in clinical use, both prescription and over-the-counter, which can vary widely in their blood and urine concentrations and which can introduce errors in laboratory testing. Which are the most important to test? An expert panel was convened to make specific recommendations concerning the drugs and concentrations that should be assessed when validating laboratory tests.1 Preparing concentrated drug solutions for interference testing has been labor intensive and expensive - until now. Sun Diagnostics now offers ASSURANCE™ DRUG Interference Test Kit for Laboratory Use as part of interference testing procedures. Interferents available include: ACETAMINOPHEN, N-ACETYLCYSTEINE, ACETYLSALICYLIC ACID, AMPICILLIN SODIUM, CEFOXITIN SODIUM, CYCLOSPORINE, DOXYCYCLINE HCL, HEPARIN, IBUPROFEN, LEVODOPA, METHYLDOPA, METRONIDAZOLE, PHENYLBUTAZONE, RIFAMPICIN, and THEOPHYLLINE. Components may be purchased individually, in customer-defined combinations, or as INT-04 (one vial of each component). Drug components and concentrations are based on recommendations by the expert panel1 and the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI).2 The concentrations are 20 times the recommended test concentrations, allowing a 1:20 dilution with serum/urine pool. Drugs included are acetylcysteine, ampicillin Na, cefoxitin Na, doxycycline HCl, theophylline, levodopa, methyldopa, metronidazole, acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, phenylbutazone, rifampicin, cyclosporine, acetaminophen and heparin, all at 20X concentrations.