Transcription

• Elizabeth McMahon

  Coming up, leaders in lab coats, this year's list of pathologists making a difference. Plus, how you can use your voice to make change in the CAP. And this isn't your grandfather's reference book. Take a look inside the new digitally enhanced color atlas of body fluids. Welcome to the Path News Network Daily Edition powered by the College of American Pathologists. I'm Elizabeth McMahon. It's Wednesday, October 1st. And here are the headlines. Do you know a trailblazer in a lab coat? The Pathologist magazine can name a few. It released its annual power list of 50 leading voices in lab medicine. A key theme from this year's leaders? Using new technology to innovate and solve problems in the lab. The profiles include perspectives from CAP members on how to raise the profile of pathology, how to advance patient impact, and more. Have you thought about using your voice to make change on a broader stage? In a rapidly evolving and challenging field, the CAP's 600-plus House of Delegates is the place to make a difference on issues critical to your practice, patients, and the profession. Self-nominations open one month from today. Election to the House of Delegates is a valuable way to represent your region and expand your professional network. Membership has its privileges, as they say, especially when you join the CAP as a group. Now is a great time to ensure the pathologists in your practice have the benefits of CAP's offerings. One L.A.-based pathologist at Quest Diagnostics described CAP membership as, quote, a game-changer for my professional growth, unquote. And Dr. Julie Friedman, a Quest pathologist who joined the CAP more than 30 years ago, said membership, quote, makes it so simple to stay engaged, current, and inspired. And finally, Body Fluid Analysis at the Cutting Edge. The second edition of the Color Atlas of Body Fluids is out, featuring digital technology and specimens in remarkable detail. I spoke with the Atlas' associate editor, Dr. Katherine Galagan, about what's inside this diagnostic reference and how editors have enhanced the reader experience. The first Color Atlas of Body Fluids came out nearly 20 years ago. As a longtime editor, writer, and collaborator on this project, what excites you most about the latest edition?

• Dr. Katherine Galagan

  Well, between the publication of the first edition of the Body Fluid Atlas and this current second edition, we have also published three other atlases, the Color Atlas of Urinary Sediment, and then Volumes 1 and 2 of the second edition of the Color Atlas of Hematology. With each publication, the artistry and depth of information has really grown. Dr. Eric Glassy creates all of the illustrations, which powerfully illustrate complex concepts, and he just keeps getting better with time. In addition, the CAP proficiency testing challenges have gone digital in the last several years, and they use whole slide imaging. We now have incorporated tools to access these slides using QR codes in the book. So one can now review the slide in the same way as one might when looking in a microscope. Another exciting feature is that the authors, each author, has recorded a 10 to 15 minute lecture on a topic that they've written about in the book and these can also be accessed directly using QR codes. that are found in the front matter of the book after the table of contents where the lectures are all listed.

• Elizabeth McMahon

  For those who are new to this publication, can you provide an idea of the Atlas's scope of coverage?

• Dr. Katherine Galagan

  This book is organized using the body fluid checklist or master list from the CAP proficiency testing program, similarly to the first edition. And this aims to highlight and describe all of the cellular elements and miscellaneous objects that one might see in body fluids, including cerebrospinal fluid, pleural, pericardial, peritoneal, and synovial fluids. It does not cover other fluids such as blood and urine, which are covered in the color atlases of hematology and the urinary sediment. So this creates some uniques. one of the really unique strengths of the series, as much of the photomicrographs have been used in proficiency testing. And therefore, we have the statistics to go along with the expert opinions. In other words, 4,000 labs say this is a neutrophil containing a crystal, let's say, and it's not just a handful of experts saying that. So that's very powerful.

• Elizabeth McMahon

  As you mentioned, you've enhanced this book with high-res imagery, slides, illustrations, and photos. Are there any sections or topics that you're particularly proud of?

• Dr. Katherine Galagan

  There's a few I would mention. There's a section called, it's a closer look on criteria for identification of malignant cells in right game-sustained cytocentrifuge preparations. There's another one called the interpretation of microscopic findings in the cerebral spinal fluid. These have both been really nicely updated and expanded. There are many more images and examples. So they're really beautiful.

• Elizabeth McMahon

  That wraps up today's Daily Edition. Check out the show notes for more details on all of these stories. Don't miss our advocacy newsletter on Tuesdays and our weekly edition newsletter on Thursdays. We'll be back tomorrow at 5 a.m. Eastern. You can subscribe to this show on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. I'm Elizabeth McMahon. Have a great day. Oh