I really wanted title this Looking for LOINC in all the wrong places…
I have searched using various versions of wording, but I can’t find a code for these tests:
Reference range comment: Usually a reflexed test to say that there is no reference range for this age range. This happens in both Heme/Coag and Chem.
CSF/Body Fluid comments: This test is where we would report bacteria, macrophages present, so it’s not just “morphology”
CBC Comment: usually something about the specimen (hemolyzed, icteric) but could also be dimorphic population or MPO deficiency. We have separate comment for RBC and WBC morphology.
Any suggestions on what I could use for these?
Kyla
Thanks for the suggestions.
How much does Class matter on the Microscopic Observation comments? Class has been useful for mapping, but I don’t have a grasp on its use past that.
Kyla
Hi Kyla,
The Microscopic Observation series might work well for your CSF/Body Fluid comments. They are a PRID/NOM format, meaning presence or identity detected, with just a listing of the findings.
The CBC Comment might be harder, as you list possible answers involving hemolyzed, icteric (more about appearance of the specimen), or dimorphic population or MPO deficient (much more technical than a routine hematology bench). There are Service Comments available for assignment. They can be of any nature you wish, as long as you realize that this makes it not interoperable semantically with other sites. They also used it to any nature they wished.
Will you be in Indianapolis next week? If so, looking forward to seeing you!
Pam
Two aspects here…
- Regenstrief’s…From the User’s Guide, section 2.11 “We assign each LOINC term to a general category called a Class. These categories are relatively broad and are intended to make it easier to sort and browse the database. They are not intended to be binding definitional characteristics of the term, and we may refine them over time”
- 3M… The laboratory clients may want to insert a workstation field to help segregate the input file, and have onhand for sorting. But we don’t hold their departments in comparison to LOINC classes before assigning a LOINC code.