Task Force on Paediatric Laboratory Medicine

Improving diagnosis and management of patients from birth to adolescence

Membership

The purpose of this Task Force is to develop procedures and processes to improve the diagnosis and management of patients from birth to adolescence

This Task Force will:

• Coordinate activities worldwide directed towards the establishment of reference intervals for laboratory test results in pediatric patients of all age groups

• Form a sound support basis for the continuation of the International Congresses of Pediatric Laboratory Medicine which have been very successful over the past 25 years

• Create a worldwide network of scientists working in laboratories specialized in Pediatric Medicine

Why Pediatric laboratory medicine?

Children are not simply small adults - this holds especially true when they become patients. Pediatric patients comprise a group with special problems, also with regards to the results of laboratory investigations.
Local and regional activities exist in which an exchange of ideas and concepts for the role of the laboratory in the care of children's health take place, but in general, these acitivities are not linked to each other. In spite of a variety of activities in the past years, reference intervals for laboratory test results are often not very well defined for the pediatric population, a situation which is even worse in adolescent medicine.
The subject of the Task Force is obviously relevant to large numbers of people - a substantial proportion of our patients are children.
Especially in pediatric patients, the role of the laboratory is crucial for diagnosis and follow-up, e.g., in metabolic disorders or genetically determined diseases.

Professor Klaus P. Kohse, MD, PhD
Past-Chair, Task Force on Pediatric Laboratory Medicine

Activities of the Task Force will include:

• Coordination, promotion and development of existing IFCC SD research activities associated with reference intervals. Existing regional groups within IFCC, e.g., the Nordic States (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland) are currently engaged in the development of Pediatric Reference values. By close interaction with this group and the IFCC SD, the Task Force will expand these activities to other regions of the world

• Establishment of a concept for the next International Congresses of Pediatric Medicine. As the preferred setting, the Congress will be held in conjunction with an IFCC meeting or a meeting taking place under the auspices of IFCC

• Regularly publish reports on the progress of the Task Force's activities and other relevant articles in the field of Pediatric Laboratory Medicine in the IFCC Journal

List of Corresponding Members, nominated by National Societies

List of Addresses

Chair:

Dr. Michael P METZ
BS, MD, FAAP, MAACB, FRCPA
Consultant Chemical Pathologist
SAPath at The Women's & Children's Hospital
72 King William Road,
North Adelaide, South Australia 5067
Australia

Members:

Dr. Tim LANG
Clinical Biochemistry Department
University Hospital of North Durham
North Road
Durham, DH1 5TW
United Kingdom

Prof. Vijay L. GREY
Department of Pathology and
Molecular Medicine
McMaster University
Medical Centre, Rm 3N26F
1200 Main St W
Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5 - CANADA

Dr. Martin HERSBERGER
Professor of Clinical Chemistry
Head of the Division of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry
University Children's Hospital Zurich
Steinwiesstrasse 75
8032 Zurich
Switzerland

Dr. Tze Ping LOH
Department of Laboratory Medicine
National University Hospital
5 Lower Kent Ridge Road
119074 Singapore

Dr. Magdalena TURZYNIECKA
Department of Chemical Pathology
University of Kwazulu-Natal
Mazisi Kunene Road, 
Glenwood 
Durban
South Africa

Consultant:

Dr. Sharon MARKHAM GEAGHAN
Stanford University School of Medicine
Department of Pathology
300 Pasteur Drive
Palo Alto CA 94304
USA

Advisors:

Prof. Patricia M. JONES
Department of Pathology, Children's
Medical Center
1935 Motor Street 75235
Dallas
USA

Prof. Klaus P. KOHSE
Institute for Laboratory Diagnostics and Microbiology, Klinikum Oldenburg
10, Dr.-Eden-Street
D-26133
Oldenburg
Germany