March 2022 CFTN
An AACC/CAP Educational Newsletter for Toxicology Laboratories
CFTN is registered with the U.S. Library of Congress, ISSN 2374-9679
CFTN is registered with the U.S. Library of Congress, ISSN 2374-9679
Read the March 2022 issue of CFTN
For decades, vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) such as warfarin have been the mainstay for chronic anticoagulation. However, VKAs are characterized by numerous drug and dietary interactions, exhibit a narrow therapeutic index (defined by International Normalized Ratio), and require frequent laboratory testing and dose adjustments. Over the past decade, several direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have emerged. This article reviews DOACs, discusses clinical scenarios in which laboratory testing of DOAC may be useful, and reviews currently available tests for DOAC monitoring.
Based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data collected from 2015-2018 and recommendations made by the Lead Exposure Prevention and Advisory Committee (LEPAC), the CDC lowered the blood lead reference value for children in October 2021. This article discusses the adverse neurological and developmental impacts of lead exposure and toxicity, the downward trends of blood lead levels in the US population and the persistent risks of lead exposures in vulnerable populations, and the analytical challenges of testing laboratories associated with the decreased blood lead reference value in children.
The 2021 annual meeting of the Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT) was held September 26 to October 1, 2021, in Nashville, TN, and offered a variety of workshops, posters, and platform presentations.
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