Publication offers labs consensus recommendations for diagnosing parasitic diseases

ASM Press announces the latest addition to its Cumulative Techniques and Procedures in Clinical Microbiology (Cumitechs) publication series: Cumitech 46 -- Laboratory Procedures for Diagnosis of Blood-Borne Parasitic Diseases.

“This Cumitech is intended to provide guidance to the laboratory personnel and other members of the patient care team in the appropriate selection, ordering and application of tests for the diagnosis and management of blood-borne parasitic infections. It reviews the reasons that examination for parasites may be requested, discusses physicians options for test selection and ordering and discusses laboratory procedures used for examining clinical specimens, including the pros and cons of each,” says Lynne S. Garcia of LSG & Associates, the coordinating editor of the publication.

Cumitechs are consensus reports in booklet form that cover topics of special interest to clinical microbiology laboratories. Experts cover the optimal procedures for a variety of clinical microbiology techniques. Each Cumitech focuses on a particular diagnostic concern, laboratory technique, or infectious agent and attempts to consolidate, in an authoritative, brief, and practical form, the latest that is known on each subject.

Cumitech 46 is the second Cumitech to be published in 2008. Earlier this year Cumitech 45 was released covering the topic of infections in solid-organ transplant recipients. Cumitech 45 offers a concise and inclusive description of infections in solid organ transplant recipients of liver, kidney, kidney-pancreas, heart, lung, and intestinal transplants. This text discusses the changing trends in immunosuppression, immunizations, and diagnostic microbiology testing. Readers will be able to use this up-to-date information to determine what infections to consider for all time periods post-transplant, and to help decide which lab tests to use for diagnosis and patient management.

Each Cumitech has a list price of $24.95 with a discount price of $20.00 each if purchased in quantities of 3 or more. All current Cumitech publications can also be accessed electronically through Cumitechs Online, which offers print-quality, PDF files for download. Cumitech Online subscriptions list for $249.95 for the first year and $99.95 for renewals. Individual Cumitechs or Cumitech Online subscriptions can be purchased through ASM Press online at http://estore.asm.org.

ASM Press is the book publishing arm of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), the oldest and largest single life science membership organization in the world. The ASM's mission is to promote research in the microbiological sciences and to assist communication between scientists, policy makers, and the public to improve health and foster economic well-being.