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Program and National Meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, “City of Fountains”, July 9 – 13, 2017 at The Intercontinental Hotel at the Plaza. You can find more information on the AMT home website at http://americanmedtech.org. You will find registration, hotel, and the program information there. This year, national award winners from our state are Dr. Georgia McCauley, MT – Technologist of the Year and our Southern District Counsellor, Kaye Tschop, from Tennessee – the Becky Award. Thank you for your dedication and service to the state and national AMT organizations. Na-tional Technical Writing awardees for 1st and 3rd place are also from North Carolina. Dr. Jude Okoyeh (1st place) and Ms. Victoria Gibson (3rd place) are clinical laboratory science students from Winston-Salem State University. We are certainly proud of these students and their efforts in writing exceptional papers. Plans are underway for Fall Focus 2017 which will be held on the campus of Davidson Community College, in Thomasville, NC. The tentative date is October 21, 2017. These educational sessions will offer continuing education credits on timely topics relevant to medical assistants, medical laboratory professionals, educators, and students. The NCSSAMT business meeting will be held during this fall continuing education meeting.
Please join us at our state and national AMT meetings. You will be delighted in the experience. AMT is truly a professional organization in certifying excellence in allied health, with the added benefit of networking opportunities and making lifelong friends.
Enjoy you spring and summer!
Georgia
North Carolina State Society of American Medical Technologists
Presidents Message Georgia McCauley, PhD, MBA,MT(AMT)
Volume 56, Issue 1
Dear Members,
Spring is here!... and the hot, hazy, lazy days of summer will soon be upon us. We have had a very exciting beginning to this year in our state society and look forward to what is in store for us the remainder of the year. Please get involved or
stay involved in your NCSSAMT organization. We would love to have you join us! If you have an interest in becoming a leader at the state and national level, we will enjoy mentoring you as well.
Our spring educational conference, Carolina’s Clinical Connection 2017 – “Continuing Education, Networking, Old Friends, New Friends, Sun, Sand, Ocean Breezes and Fun!” was held at the Double Tree by Hilton in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina from March 29 – 31. The South Carolina state societies of AMT and ASCLS hosted the event. North Carolina Society of CLS assisted with planning the program. The CCC website and online registration was value added to the organization of the meeting. A special thank you to Candice Freeman, President-Elect of NCSCLS for creating the fabulous website. In attendance were 162, to include 23 speakers, 75 students, 19 SCSSAMT members, and 20 NCSSAMT members. Our very own remarkable Southern District Counsellor, Kaye Tschop, joined us to offer her support, guidance and encouragement. Twelve vendors participated in the conference and several vendor representatives were present. NCSSAMT Student Writing Awards were presented at the opening of the meeting. Winners this year were three Winston-Salem State University Clinical Laboratory Science students. Go Rams!
Mark your calendars for the AMT 79th Educational
Spring/Summer 2017
NCSSAMT Leadership
2
Preventing Errone-ous Potassium
3
District Councillor’s
Report
4
Future Meeting
Information
5
Abstract Student
Article
6
Editors Note 7
CCC 2017 8
Inside this issue:
The Tarheel Tech
Southern District Councilor
Kaye A Tschop, MT
Board of Directors:
David McCullough, MT
1513 Wensley Drive
Mt Airy, NC 27030
(h) 336-786-5304
Dmccullough01057
@roadrunner.com
Judy Smith, MT
201 Bluff Street
Mt Airy, NC 27030
Tommie Williams, MT
4435 Clarksburg Road
Clemmons, NC 27012
Catherine Brock, RMA
204 John Deere Drive
Raeford, NC
Lynn Dean, MT
PO Box 103
Hurdle Mills, NC 27541
Charlene Lynch RMA
Committee Chairs 2014-2015
Publications, Publicity, Placement;
Tommie Williams
By-laws, Policies and Procedures:
Mary Midkiff
Membership and Awards
Judy Smith
Scientific
Jerry Johnson
Legislative and Proctoring
David McCullough
Nominating and Budget, Audit
Ray Dean
NMLPW and NMLAW
Lynn Dean, Catherine Brock
Student Writing
Mary Midkiff
President:
Georgia McCauley, PhD, MT
Vice President:
Jerry Johnson, MT
1296 Reeves Mill Road
Mt Airy, NC 27030
Secretary:
Mary Midkiff, MT
252 Paisley Drive
Mt Airy, NC 27030
Treasurer
Ray Dean, MT
PO Box 103
Hurdle Mills, NC 27541
Judiciary Councillor
Kimberly Chervount, MT
100 Fair Oaks Dr
Fairmont, WV 26554
NCSSAMT Officers and Board 2017
The Tarheel Tech is the official publica-
tion of the North Carolina State Society
of American Medical Technologists.
It is published two times per year in May
and November. Electronic versions are
posted to the NCSSAMT webpage at
www.americanmedtech.org
Submit comments and information to:
Editor:
Tommie Williams, MT(AMT)
Associate Editor:
Jerry Johnson, MT(AMT)
Closing dates for material are March 15
and September 15,
Circulation -electronic
Advertisement Rates per issue : Business
card $50.00, 1/2 page $100.00
The opinions expressed in any article
are those of the author and do not nec-
essarily reflect those of the editorial staff
or the NCSSAMT Board of Directors
All photographs contained here within are
the property of NCSSAMT or the Editor un-
less otherwise noted
To request a hardcopy of the newsletter
please contact the Editor –Tommie Williams
Look for electronic version of
The Tarheel Tech at
www.americanmedtech.org
Select State Societies then State
Society websites
Page 2 Volume 56, Issue 1
If you are interested in serving on a
committee for 2017 please contact
Georgia McCauley, MT(AMT)
T. Williams 2017
Preventing Erroneous Potassium Levels– Jerry Johnson, MT(AMT)
Potassium is an electrolyte in the body along with sodium, chloride, calcium and magnesium. Potassium is crucial to heart function, skeletal and smooth muscle function, and kidney function. Increased potassium, hyperkalemia can cause kidney and heart disease; decreased potassium, hypokalemia can cause weakness, lack of energy, muscle cramps, stomach dis-turbances, irregular heart beat and abnormal EKG.
Troubleshooting erroneous potassium levels in a clinical laboratory setting can be determined by dividing the analysis into three areas: Specimen Collection, Processing/Handling/Transport, and Physiological complications.
Specimen Collection: It is crucial that specimen collection is performed correctly to prevent erroneous potassium levels in a clinical laboratory setting.
The following are items that can cause elevated potassium levels:
o Leaving a tourniquet on the arm too long
o Excessive clenching of the fist o Arm is placed in an upward position o Betadine is used instead of alcohol to cleanse the venipuncture site o Order of draw is not followed o Collection performed above an IV site o Vigorous mixing of tubes o Collection technique- small gauge needles or butterfly needles o Traumatic or difficult venipuncture
Mislabeling specimen or improper patient identification
Processing/Handling/Transport: Incorrectly processing, handling or transporting specimens can cause erroneous potassi-um levels in a clinical laboratory setting.
The following are items that can cause elevated potassium levels:
o Pneumatic tube systems with speed too high, unpadded stations, and excessive agitation
o Delays in processing or transport of specimen o Centrifugation at speeds too high, increased centrifuge heat, or spinning continuously or for long periods of time o Re-centrifugation o Poor barrier formation in gel tube prior to centrifugation
Chilling whole blood for more than two hours or in temperatures that are too cold
Physiological: There are sometimes physiological issues that arise that result in in-
creased potassium levels in the clinical laboratory setting.
The following are items that can cause elevated potassium levels:
o Fear of venipuncture/hyperventilation
o Myeloproliferative disorders/ severe leukocytosis o Dehydration o Anticoagulant therapy o Liver Disease o Thrombocytosis
o Familial pseudo hyperkalemia
o Oral therapy of Cotrimoxazole
o Plasma used vs Serum
References: BD.com Troubleshooting Erroneous Potassium Results in a Clinical Laboratory
Setting
Jerry Johnson is the Regional Manager for Phlebotomy Services for Laboratory Corporation of
America, Winston-Salem, NC
Photo courtesy of Kaye Tschop –2017
Page 3 Volume 56, Issue 1
Rep for AccuVein demonstrates
vein finder at CCC2017
Volume 56, Issue 1 Page 4
Spring 2017 Southern
District Councillor’s
Message
Spring is just around the cor-ner and before you know it, we will be in Kansas City, Missouri for the 79th AMT Educational Program and National Meeting
July 9-13, 2017. This year we will be at the Interconti-nental Kansas City at The Plaza 401 Ward Parkway Kansas City, Missouri 60018. Room rates will be $ 129.00 plus tax per night single or double. The hotel has a heated indoor pool with sun decks and fitness center. There are jogging trails and an 18-hole golf course nearby. Coffee maker, iron and ironing board are provided in each room. Attendees will enjoy free wireless internet in the guestrooms and marble baths. If you are driving to Kansas City, the discounted over-night self-parking rate at the hotel will be $10.00 per day. Hotel rates are good from July 4 to July 18, 2017. Mark your calendars and make your reservations now! Registration for the meeting is now available online. AMT has a special low early bird rate of $ 200 for all members. Registration will jump up to $ 425 so register now so you do not miss out on saving $ 225. There will be no extensions to the May 1 deadline for early bird registration. There will be numerous work-shops offered on Sunday this year. You will see more management courses and some maneuvering of items to different days so check the program. This year’s Leadership Training is called “How Do You Manage What You’ve Got”. There will be three 30 minute sessions presented and they are titled: “What are You Doing with Our Money?”, “CEU’s are Your Responsibility” and “A Drive Through the AMT Web-site”. The location of the 80th AMT Educational Program and National Meeting will be held in Washington, DC July 1-6, 2018 at the Hyatt Capitol Hill. More details will be available on a later date. The 81st AMT Educa-tional Program and National Meeting will be held in the Great Lakes District.
Remember to enter all your continuing education credits into AMTrax. AMT does not enter this infor-mation for you. It is quick and easy and most of all it
is free to all members. A Certification Continuation Pro-gram (CCP) cycle has recently ended and a random 10% audit has just occurred. I cannot stress how important it is to record all your education credits into AMTrax and to ensure you have the required continuing education points to remain certified.
Please attend your state society meetings. They are an excellent source of continuing education, an opportunity to share your knowledge with your AMT family and to keep abreast of current AMT information.
This is a special time for me to say how very proud I am of the Southern District and to congratulate all the na-tional award and publication winners. This year we had a total of nineteen national awards bestowed on South-ern District members. How awesome is that? Thank you for all your hard work!
In closing, I would like to say thank you to all of you for your hard work and dedication to AMT throughout the year and making the Southern District shine. Each of you truly are the “Pride of the Profession”. I look forward to seeing each of you at your state meeting this year and in Kansas City.
If you have any questions or concerns. Please do not hes-
itate to contact me at [email protected] or phone me
at (h) 615-833-3427 or (c) 615-424-0550
District Councillor’s Comments Kaye A. Tschop, MT
Page 5 Volume 56, Issue 1
Save the Date !
Fall Focus 2017
October 21, 2017
Davidson Community College
Thomasville NC
Submissions must be emailed to the North Carolina State Society President. The address is listed in The Tarheel Tech or may be
obtained from the AMT website under the NCSSAMT State Society AMT web site is www.americanmedtech.org
Carolinas Clinical Connection 2018
Eastern Area AHEC
Greenville, NC
Date: TBD Spring 2018
National Medical Assistants Professionals Recognition Week
October 16-20, 2017
Meningococcal Disease: A Trail of Fatalities and Incapacitations
By Jude Okoyeh
Abstract
Meningococcal is an obligatory aerobic bacterium that poses a global health challenge in the form of serious, often fatal, sporadic epidemic meningitis and septicemia. Children and young adults are more susceptible to this infection. N. meningitidis is responsible for this illness which involves infection of the meninges and the blood stream. Different strains of this microorganism exist worldwide. N. meningitidis usually colonizes the nasopharynx, which facilitates the spread of the organism as salivary droplets or secretions of the upper respiratory system and throat. Risk factors that aid spread of the disease in-clude social, economic and environmental dispositions. The morbidity and mortality rates associated with meningitis is high, so early detection and rigorous treatment with antibiotics are very important. Meningococcal vaccines that use different serogroups of N. meningitidis are now available to prevent infection.
Conclusion
The devastating effects of epidemic meningococcal disease to human health persists around the world. These adverse effects often result in the loss of many lives. Survivors of these infections have trails of sequelae that include blindness, deafness, and interruption of the normal flow of CSF which are the consequences of compressed or damaged meninges and/or permanent damage to nerves and specific areas of the brain. Bacterial meningitis are more severe than viral meningitis, and low levels of immuni-ty make infants to be highly susceptible to these infections. Presently, N. meningitidis is solely responsi-ble for causing epidemics of meningococcal meningitis in humans. Prophylaxis by vaccinations and treatment with antibiotics are the available options for the control and management of this disease. Vaccines targeted against the different serotypes of bacteria that cause meningococcal disease have been developed. Immunizations with these vaccines have reduced the incidence of severe epidemic meningitis in the more vulnerable population, such as infants and children. The emergence and spread of resistant strains of these organisms have limited the choice of antibacterial agents that are available for combating meningococcal disease.
Jude Okoyeh is a fourth year Clinical Laboratory Science student at Winston
Salem State University. He is also a student Member of NCSSAMT. His student
paper was awarded First Place in the AMT National Student Paper Contest for
2017. Dr Georgia McCauley , NCSSAMT President presents Jude the
NCSSAMT writing award at the Carolinas Clinical Connection in March 2017.
Follow this link to the full article
http://secure-web.cisco.com/1Zesoo-prRarqa1TUUvERG52IfU3FMfs09QRF774Tz_GyU-eDg_8IqCtIBaZf0ei8F5lt3OKfg_NrbHjHqcNwyqaejLrKm4bCi87T3_QOPlfRZ2wVQE1FMPOdPb1aufpdwOLVHgVhMDG_s_yc9Ax5syakycfNLiRlkHRELFl2WDiuKzavDf_Wn3xVMhWRC0Sb1EmwL-_Rjh4SMzqA8qPV8iUCxgdK5EFjsJY4wFOnfh-niqX_HQ-FCY4vGDa8NCCivnn0jdKE26dUIdLc9t7MYapVyJdOyEIhJDsxGxJVm-l_9Gf25Jaku1n6o5JO1gEy/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanmedtech.org%2FPortals%2F0%2FPDF%2FState%2520Society%2FNCSSAMT%2Fn_meningitidis.pdf
Page 6 Volume 56, Issue 1
A Note from the Editor…..
Tommie Williams , MT(AMT)
Page 7 Volume 56, Issue 1
Greetings Fellow Members,
I hope everyone is ready for Spring. It has
been an eventful Spring. In the last month I
have been honored to attend retirement cele-
brations for two very special NCSSAMT mem-
bers.
Mary Midkiff MT(AMT) and Judy Smith
MT(AMT) retired in April and May, respective-
ly, with 100 years of combined experienced
between them! Of course both were mere ba-
bies when they started their careers at North-
ern Hospital of Surry County.
The experience and knowledge shared by
Mary and Judy is awe inspiring, as is their dedi-
cation to the laboratory community. Both
have been active members in AMT on the
state, regional and national level. They have
participated in the education and training of
many laboratory professionals in the state,
myself included.
On a personal note, I am so very lucky to con-
sider them two very dear members of my
family. They have served as teachers, men-
tors, consultants and most important friends.
I wish them both happy hearts and fulfilled
dreams as they enter this new season in their
lives.
Best wishes and Congratulations from your
NCSSAMT Family
Page 8 Volume 56, Issue 1
Left to right top to bottom
Paul Brown MT(AMT) with his daughter, keynote speak-
er Carmela Head
Attendees participate in the “Rumor Mill” during Key-
note Session
Jerry Johnson MT(AMT) I am only going to tell you this
once!
Ray Dean MT(AMT) and Catherine Brock RMA(AMT) visit
with vendors during reception
Students from WSSU enjoy lunch with
the vendors
Jerry Johnson with Michael McCarty
Legal counsel for AMT and General
CCC 2017 in Snapshots
Photographs courtesy of Kaye Tschop—2017
Page 9 Volume 56, Issue 1
