Disappointment with the hemepaths I work with.
I’ve been a medical technologist for 16 years, specifically in flow cytometry for 13. I love it which is why I’ve been working in it for so long. I’ve even gotten my specialist license, but I feel that’s ignored because they would rather have a tech who doesn’t ever question them.
In the past few months, I feel they have missed major clones and it honestly breaks my heart. Recently we diagnosed an acute myeloid, but the abnormal blasts were present in the PB in low numbers two months ago. It was noticeable to me because it was CD34+CD4, but it was signed out as a normal. That was in April and in June, the patient came in through the ER with fully symptomatic acute leukemia.
Would a heme onc have done marrow or reflexed molecular back in April if that abnormality had been remarked on? Would it have made a difference in treatment? The clone is within our lower limit of detection, but I don’t know if it’s a certain percent of abnormal cells that would trigger further evaluation?
I can’t help but think about it and feel so guilty, but I also feel I don’t have the kind of professional relationship with the hemepaths where I can say something
thanks for reading
