08/26/2023
New Barb Bancroft Book on Interpretation of Lab Tests now Available!
This is NOT your “run-of-the-mill Lab Test book.” Of course, it’s not — it’s written by the “not your run-of-the-mill” nursing educator, Barb Bancroft. What is the best way to describe this book? It’s “lab-a-palooza” of a tome, with full explanations of every day lab tests, interspersed with clinical quips, timely tips, case studies, pharmacology pearls, historical highlights, practical pointers, and peppered with a few giggles and laughs along the way. Barb blends physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and physical assessment pearls seamlessly throughout each of the 12 chapters. The first chapter, named after the title of the book, A Bacteria, a Virus, and a Parasite Walk Into a Bar… discusses the lab tests used to diagnose infections with a thorough explanation of the WBC and differential. The second chapter covers RBCs (It's not just "ARN-poor" blood) and a thorough review of the myriad of anemias. Bloody Hell is Chapter 3 — all about the tests used for clotting and bleeding. Other chapters include Read My Lipids, A Touch of the Sugar, Liver Logic, To P*e or Not to P*e, Breath, Sweat, and TearSSSSSS, The Land of the Gland — Thyroid, that is, Enzymes Galore and So Much More, and a few more on Electrolytes and Tumor Markers.
Here are a few tantalizing questions that will be answered throughout the book:
- A nosebleed sent Attila the Hun to an early grave...what level does a platelet count have to be to cause a hemorrhagic nosebleed?
- A young man took a pregnancy test as a joke and much to his surprise it was positive! What part of his body should be examined immediately?
- Sneezin' and wheezin' in ragweed season? What antibody is the "antibody of allergies"?
- If a patient presents with incessant ice chewing (pagophagia), what type of anemia do they have and what lab tests would you order?
- What year did nurses STOP taste testing urine for sugar?
- Your analysis (oops! urinalysis) is tied with a renal ultrasound for the two most important renal function tests. What all can it tell us?
- What is the ApoB test and why is it so important in the world of cholesterol testing?
- Taking Biotin as a supplement for nail and hair growth? What common lab test can it interfere with?
- What are the causes of acute pancreatitis? You can easily remember this mnemonic: BAD S**T.
Piqued your interest? It's educational, entertaining, and enlightening...what more could you want in a book on Lab Tests?
The link to AMAZON is: https://www.amazon.com/Bacteria-Virus-Parasite-Walk-into/dp/B0C9S8B372/
NOTE PROFESSORS: If you are interested in a discount for BULK copies for your staff or students, please contact Barb directly: BBancr9271@aol.com or call 312-543-7688.
