Press Releases
CLSI Receives Cooperative Agreement to Improve HIV Testing Worldwide; New Guideline for Vital Newborn Screening Follow-Up Activities

NEW:  CLSI Receives Cooperative Agreement to Improve HIV Testing Worldwide
Wayne, Pennsylvania, USA—15 September 2005—Global standards-development organization Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI, formerly NCCLS) has received a $365,000 USD cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (HHS/CDC) for capacity-building assistance for global HIV/AIDS laboratory guidelines and standards development.  The year-long agreement is funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which the U.S. Department of State describes as “the largest commitment ever by a single nation toward an international health initiative.”
Full press release.

NEW:  CLSI to Release Guideline for Vital Newborn Screening Follow-up Activities
Wayne, Pennsylvania, USA—14 September 2005—Newborn screening is a process by which over 10 million newborns worldwide are each year screened for congenital diseases, which must be detected early for the prevention of morbidity and mortality.  Rapid follow-up is an essential component of this vital public health activity.  Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI, formerly NCCLS) has published Newborn Screening Follow-up; Proposed Guideline (I/LA27-P), which describes the basic principles, scope, and range of follow-up activities within the newborn screening system. 
Full press release.

NEW:  Vet Microbiologists:  First Global View of Bacterial Disease Among Fish in New CLSI Guidelines
Wayne, Pennsylvania, USA—15 September 2005—Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI, formerly known as NCCLS) has simultaneously released the first globally-developed guidelines for performing susceptibility testing on bacteria isolated from aquatic animals.  Through a multi-national, multi-laboratory collective effort, the authoring microbiologists have addressed the age-old problem of fish disease from a global perspective, making a world of healthy aquaculture a more viable possibility.  Peter Smith, PhD, from the National University of Galway, calls the new CLSI documents “the first essential step in developing programs that will allow the monitoring of the spread of resistance to antimicrobial agents in aquatic microflora.”
Full press release.

CLSI:  New Guideline on Widely Used Coagulation Assay
Wayne, PA, USA—19 August 2005—Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI, formerly NCCLS) has released a new guideline on the prothrombin time (PT), the most widely performed coagulation assay.  The document, titled Procedures for Validation of INR and Local Calibration of PT/INR Systems; Approved Guideline (H54-A), is one in a series of guidelines that addresses methodology in blood coagulation testing.
Full press release.

New CLSI-IFCC Guideline to Counter Inconsistencies in Body Fluid Testing Procedures
Wayne, Pennsylvania, USA—14 September 2005—Clinical data derived from proper body fluid procedures and accurate test results are essential to make the appropriate diagnosis and administer the proper therapy to patients, but variables can influence the results reported. Because these variables are loosely defined, inconsistency from one institution to another may exist.  To counter these inconsistencies, Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) have partnered to publish Body Fluid Analysis for Cellular Composition; Proposed Guideline (H56-P)…
Full press release.

CLSI-IFCC Guideline to Meet Demand for Molecular Methods Proficiency Tests
Wayne, Pennsylvania, USA—19 August 2005—As molecular testing methods become more commonly implemented, solid proficiency schemes are needed to further the development of this complex and rapidly growing area in laboratory medicine.  Recognizing the essential role and responsibility of the organizations that provide these services, Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), and the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) have partnered to develop the recently-approved guideline, Proficiency Testing (External Quality Assessment) for Molecular Methods (MM14-A). 
Full press release.

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