Welcome to Lab Guide!
8/19/25- New Vaginitis PCR with NEW collection swab for STI Testing
From: Dr. Tao Hong, Director of Microbiology (Full Memo Aug2025)
Effective August 19th, 2025, the Molecular Microbiology Laboratory will be changing vendors for vaginitis testing. The new vaginitis panel will be performed on our Hologic instrument, replacing the current assay from BD. This new panel will detect organisms associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV), vulvovaginal candidiasis, and trichomoniasis. It will report results for the following: BV, Candida species group (C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. dubliniensis), Candida glabrata, and Trichomonas vaginalis.
Specimen Requirements: - Vaginal sample (patient or clinician collected) using the (NEW) Aptima Multitest Swab collection Kit.
Note: Endocervical and urethral specimens will NO longer be accepted. Vaginal swabs and first catch urine samples are the recommended sample types for females and males, respectively, and have comparable sensitivities/specificities to the discontinued specimen swabs/sources.
GC/CT, TV and Vaginitis can all be run off this one Aptima swab.
NEW Ordering information:
Aptima Multitest Swab Collection Kit • Product #: PRD-03546
For questions, please do not hesitate to contact Missy Andrade, Manager (401-444-8844), Dr. Tao Hong PhD (401-444-3144), or Dr. Sara Geffert, MD (401-444-4421)
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7/22/25- Changes to Magnesium Reporting Units
FROM: Adina Badea, Ph.D., Director (Interim), Clinical Chemistry Services Effective July 22nd, the Brown University Health Clinical Chemistry Laboratory will change reporting units for Magnesium testing, from mEq/L to mg/dL. This change is a coordinated effort with BUH Pharmacy, which will implement an electrolyte repletion protocol updated with the new units. These efforts reflect an alignment in practice with peer institutions.
There is a 1.2 conversion factor from mEq/L to mg/dL. As a result, the reportable ranges will be as follows:
| | mEq/L (old) | mg/dL (new) |
| Reportable range | 0.5 – 7.9 | 0.6 – 9.5 |
| Reference range | 1.3 – 1.9 | 1.6– 2.3 |
| Critical Low | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| Critical High | 2.4 | 2.9 |
To help with this transition, the Chemistry Laboratory will display all Magnesium results with the following note, for the first two months post implementation:
Please note the units changed to mg/dL on 7/22/25. To convert results prior to 7/22/25 (in mEq/L) to current units for trending purposes, please multiply the old result by 1.2 e.g. 1 mEq/L = 1.2 mg/dL. All adjustments to reference ranges and critical value thresholds have been made.
Welcome to Lab Guide!
8/19/25- New Vaginitis PCR with NEW collection swab for STI Testing
From: Dr. Tao Hong, Director of Microbiology (Full Memo Aug2025)
Effective August 19th, 2025, the Molecular Microbiology Laboratory will be changing vendors for vaginitis testing. The new vaginitis panel will be performed on our Hologic instrument, replacing the current assay from BD. This new panel will detect organisms associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV), vulvovaginal candidiasis, and trichomoniasis. It will report results for the following: BV, Candida species group (C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. dubliniensis), Candida glabrata, and Trichomonas vaginalis.
Specimen Requirements: - Vaginal sample (patient or clinician collected) using the (NEW) Aptima Multitest Swab collection Kit.
Note: Endocervical and urethral specimens will NO longer be accepted. Vaginal swabs and first catch urine samples are the recommended sample types for females and males, respectively, and have comparable sensitivities/specificities to the discontinued specimen swabs/sources.
GC/CT, TV and Vaginitis can all be run off this one Aptima swab.
NEW Ordering information:
Aptima Multitest Swab Collection Kit • Product #: PRD-03546
For questions, please do not hesitate to contact Missy Andrade, Manager (401-444-8844), Dr. Tao Hong PhD (401-444-3144), or Dr. Sara Geffert, MD (401-444-4421)
******************************************************************************************************
7/22/25- Changes to Magnesium Reporting Units
FROM: Adina Badea, Ph.D., Director (Interim), Clinical Chemistry Services Effective July 22nd, the Brown University Health Clinical Chemistry Laboratory will change reporting units for Magnesium testing, from mEq/L to mg/dL. This change is a coordinated effort with BUH Pharmacy, which will implement an electrolyte repletion protocol updated with the new units. These efforts reflect an alignment in practice with peer institutions.
There is a 1.2 conversion factor from mEq/L to mg/dL. As a result, the reportable ranges will be as follows:
| | mEq/L (old) | mg/dL (new) |
| Reportable range | 0.5 – 7.9 | 0.6 – 9.5 |
| Reference range | 1.3 – 1.9 | 1.6– 2.3 |
| Critical Low | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| Critical High | 2.4 | 2.9 |
To help with this transition, the Chemistry Laboratory will display all Magnesium results with the following note, for the first two months post implementation:
Please note the units changed to mg/dL on 7/22/25. To convert results prior to 7/22/25 (in mEq/L) to current units for trending purposes, please multiply the old result by 1.2 e.g. 1 mEq/L = 1.2 mg/dL. All adjustments to reference ranges and critical value thresholds have been made.
