October 14, 2026
Transcript
Nancy Johnson
Coming up, how labs can be smart about testing for a common inherited bleeding disorder that can be difficult to diagnose. Plus, a 10th-century salve made with cow bile offers promising clues for fighting antibiotic-resistant bugs. Welcome to CAP News for Wednesday, October 14th. I'm Nancy Johnson of the College of American Pathologists. Here's what's making news in pathology and laboratory medicine.
Nancy Johnson
Von Willebrand disease is the most common inherited bleeding disorder, affecting about 1% of the population. People with the disease often have a family history of bleeding, but when doctors encounter a patient with no bleeding history and abnormal clotting tests, they may suspect Von Willebrand. It's a diagnosis that labs must approach with care, says Dr. Aaron Han, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Loyola University Medical Center.
Dr. Aaron Han
What we want to avoid is basically ticking off all the boxes of all the possible types of lab tests that could present in a patient with slightly abnormal bleeding factors and or a suspected bleeding history. So there we want to approach it in a rational way.
Nancy Johnson
Dr. Han is a co-author of the CAP's testing module on Von Willebrand disease. It's one of about two dozen modules under the CAP's test ordering program, which provides information and resources about commonly misapplied lab tests. Dr. Han says Von Willebrand can be challenging because of its complexity.
Dr. Aaron Han
It can be overwhelming because there are so many different subtypes of Von Willebrand. There are different categories, different inheritance patterns, it can be qualitative or quantitative defects. And so the key is to develop a framework, know what the proper screening tests are, how do you go down the decision tree and make the appropriate tests so that based on what we typically call pretest probability, you're going to order tests that actually are indicated.
Nancy Johnson
The Von Willebrand disease testing module provides analytic tools, including metrics and benchmarking, to ensure lab staff understand the latest testing recommendations. Learn more at the Test Ordering Program tab on the CAP's Laboratory Quality Solutions page.
Nancy Johnson
Fungal infections cause more than 7,000 deaths and around 130,000 hospitalizations each year in the U.S. As they evolve, these pathogens can create new challenges for laboratories. A CAP webinar on Thursday, October 29th at 1 p.m. Eastern will provide the latest information on emerging resistance trends, evolving fungal taxonomy, and practical approaches to antifungal susceptibility testing. Join experts from the CAP and the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute for an hour-long discussion of case examples and guidance on reporting considerations and pitfalls. Microbiologists, lab scientists, managers, and directors are encouraged to attend. Attendees can earn one PACE credit.
Nancy Johnson
Could an ancient salve made from garlic, onion, cow bile, and wine provide clues for beating antibiotic-resistant bug? Research from a team at the University of Warwick in the UK is offering intriguing ideas for developing bacteria-fighting drugs. The team used a 10th-century concoction called Bald's Eye Salve that showed promise in previous tests to see how it affected pathogens. They measured how the brew changed gene expression in bacterial cultures, noting that it altered the expression of disease-promoting genes, damaged cell membranes, and interfered with interbacterial communication when added to bacterial cultures. Additionally, they found that three kinds of harmful bacteria developed resistance to the medicinal mixture much more slowly compared with conventional single molecule antibiotics. But don't try this at home. Lead author Freya Harrison cautions. Researchers could recreate the mixture's multi-pronged attack in a lab-made cocktail of the potion's active ingredients. And finally, if you missed CAP26 this month and wish you could catch up on the action and gain CME credits, an on-demand pass is your ticket. Choose from more than 40 expert-led CAP26 sessions on subjects from biopsies and tumor classification to leadership and lab testing. And don't forget, if you're a CAP 26 all-access pass holder, the sessions are free. The on-demand platform opens October 27th and runs to January 31st.
Nancy Johnson
That's all for today. Be sure to check the show notes for more information on today's stories. Got a story you'd like to hear on the podcast? Write to us at stories at CAP.org. We're back at 5 AM Eastern for another episode of CAP News. I'm Nancy Johnson. Have a great day.