Advisory Panel Guidance on Minimum Retesting Intervals for Lab Tests

The panel recognized the need to balance the recommendations with the workflow of the labs. [...] Advisory Panel Recommendations for Lab Tests ANA About the Test Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are autoantibodies that bind to cellular components in the nucleus of cells and mediate autoimmune diseases.8,9 The ANA test measures the quantity (i.e., the titer) and the staining pattern of the antibodies.9 ANA testing is commonly used in the diagnosis of systemic autoimmune diseases such as systemic l. [...] Key Discussion Points In the context of congestive heart failure, the panel members discussed the following when developing the recommendations: • The panel acknowledged that there is limited evidence on the use of BNP and NT-proBNP for monitoring patients with congestive heart failure and that existing guidance is conflicting, and that both these points were reflected in the literature review. [...] The panel considered evidence from a focused literature review.7 Key Discussion Points Panel members discussed the following points when developing their recommendations: • The panel discussed that there was disagreement between the included guidelines in the literature review about the need for lipid panel retesting and the appropriate test frequency in adult patients on oral lipid-lowering thera. [...] • The panel acknowledges that due to the variation across the disease spectrum there may be some exceptions to both recommendations, and care providers should consider the patient’s specific clinical situation, such as the disease, the level of risk, biochemical changes, or the amount of time since the patient completed treatment.