April 2022 Bulletin

'Standing on the shoulders of giants you can see further…’ The advances in clinical immunology have been a collaborative effort with clinicians and scientists building on the work of others to bring about innovation. Here, Dr Kumararatne provides a personal account of some of these advances.

Reducing the environmental impact of pathology laboratories while maintaining high standards is a balancing act that requires further exploration. In this article, we hear from the newly established BSVP Green Team and their work to improve sustainability in veterinary laboratories.

Anaesthetic-related allergy is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition that can occur before, during or after an operation. The Anaesthetic Allergy Working Party was set up to improve patient care in this area and Dr Tomaz Garcez explains the need for standardised care and the role of immunologists and stakeholders such as RCPath.

Immunologists are doctors and scientists who deal with the study, diagnosis and management of patients with disordered immune systems that are a result of acquired and inherited conditions or some blood cancers. They also advise on conditions in which immunological treatment forms an important part of therapy and/or prevention. Some immunologists specialise in treating allergies. Here, Dr Tomaz Garcez discusses fatal anaphylaxis and the role of the UK Fatal Anaphylaxis Registry.

Forensic pathologists perform medicolegal post-mortem examinations to determine the cause of death, including cases where a crime is suspected. They provide scientifically objective expert reports for the police, coroners, procurators fiscal and solicitors and give expert evidence in crown, family and coroners' courts among others. This section features an article by Home Office forensic pathologists, Dean Jones and Martin Allix.

In this article, SAC Chair Professor Roberto La Ragione explains the vital role of veterinary pathologists and microbiologists in developing a greater understanding of disease processes and treatments that not only help animals, but also humans.

Here, Professor Marta Cohen and Dr Eleanor McTaggart provide an overview of learning from the SIDS and SUDC: past, present and future conference.

In this article, Dr Charles van Heyningen reports on the 15th International Congress on Paediatric Laboratory Medicine 2021.

Medical microbiologists oversee the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness caused by microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and parasites). Virologists oversee the diagnosis, management and treatment of patients with viral infections. In this article, we discover more about the key achievements in these specialties and the challenges they are facing, including emerging pathogens and antimicrobial resistance.