PFA-100 does anyone use canned comments?

[Swencesl]

We are validating the platelet function analyzer (PFA)100. How do your labs report reults. Would like to see samples of canned results comments to give me an idea of how to write Our own. Also what is the panels experience with this Instrument?

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

I know that you are talking about platelets, rather than red cells (red cell antibodies being about the only thing I can claim to know anything about), but I hate canned comments with a passion that knows no bounds.

Each patient is an individual with an individual condition, and it is extremely rare that canned comments appropriate for one patient are entirely appropriate for another.

Using them as a guidance for a report is an entirely different thing, because they are extremely useful as an aide memoire, but that is as far as they should be taken.

:mad::mad::mad:

[Swencesl]

Hi Malcolm, sorry to offend you with the use of "canned comments" and like you I also believe that all patients are people and should be treated with respect to their own individual needs. We will all be patients one day, and I for one can't stand receiving medical bills for tests or procedures that I question were even worth doing.

I work with a lot of residents and clinicians who appreciate the use of canned comments to help guide them in their follow up testing (instead of the shot gun approach) especially if the initial results do not correlate with their patient's clinical history. So again, I would like to pose the same questions to the panel, with the hopes of not offending anyone. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

Hi Malcolm, sorry to offend you with the use of "canned comments" and like you I also believe that all patients are people and should be treated with respect to their own individual needs. We will all be patients one day, and I for one can't stand receiving medical bills for tests or procedures that I question were even worth doing.

I work with a lot of residents and clinicians who appreciate the use of canned comments to help guide them in their follow up testing (instead of the shot gun approach) especially if the initial results do not correlate with their patient's clinical history. So again, I would like to pose the same questions to the panel, with the hopes of not offending anyone. Any advice would be appreciated.

Swencesl, PLEASE do not feel that you offended me for one moment (and even if you had, mine is only one person's opinion).

I actually agree with what you are saying with regard to the residents and clinicians, but I also feel that this guidance can be given with (and sometimes can be better given) with individual comments for individual patients, especially if the initial results do not correlate with the patient's clinical history.

:)

[bbbirder]

We use the PFA and we use canned comments. We have 1 for Normal (both ADP and EPI normal), one for abnormal ADP with normal EPI and one for when both ADP and EPI are abn.

Our computer system allows for a calculation to get the comment right, depending on the results.

They are rather lengthy, send me your e-mail and I will send them to you.

Linda Frederick

[LAS]

We use the PFA and use canned comments as well.

[froggymork]

We only have one canned comment that we use when the HCT is less than 35 and the platelets are less than a 100...something along the lines that either of these could cause elevated results