The latest release of LOINC (v2.65 Dec 2018) has a few laboratory updates for which you’ll want to check your existing mapping, and it’ll be great to get them done before the next release, anticipated for June 2019.

1. There are now LOINCs for terms usually defined elsewhere in the HL7 message formats. Take advantage of:
    a. Lab order date 82785-7
    b. Lab result date reported 82772-5
    c. Lab result time reported 82773-3
    d. Date of laboratory phone call to provider to communicate test result 90946-5
    e. Date and time lab result reported 90056-3
    f. Preliminary microorganism growth in various specimen types (13 terms/3 panels)

2. LDL cholesterol subtypes (1 through 7) have been issued new terms with component attribute of ‘Cholesterol.in LDL X’, while discouraging the use of the term ‘LDL X’.

3. If your coagulation lab has a Thromboelastography instrument, the TEG method has been replaced with TEG Rotational AND there’s a new method of TEG Resonance. A quick visual of the instrument in action will determine if there’s a resistance pin inside the rotating cup (TEG Rotational) or if the blood clot meniscus is optically measured (TEG Resonance) and translated into clotting parameters.
Different LOINCs are available.

4. The bacterial resistance genes have had their specimens changed to Isolate/Specimen from Isolate AND the method is loosened from Probe.amp.tar to Molgen. The LOINCs stay the same; be sure to update the long and short LOINC displays.

5. It appears most of the clinical changes are refining method/provider roles. Be sure to update LOINC displays and you’ll catch them all.

Here’s to increasing your LOINC in 2019! If you have other terminology topics that you’d like us to discuss, or need help with terminology implementation or mapping, please contact us.