Primary Care Alberta Clinical Updates
Lab bulletin: Measles Specimen Collection Pathway update
Please note that APL has updated its Measles Specimen Collection Pathway. Updates apply to Part 2, scenario C of the pathway, regarding asymptomatic, exposed, urgent patients needing testing on holidays or weekends. There are now zone-specific contact numbers for the APL Mobile Collection Office. 
Lab bulletin: Measles immunity testing for pregnant women
Effective immediately, measles immunity (IgG) testing for immunity on stored prenatal bloods from pregnant persons can be requested by completing a FAX add-on request available at ProLab Add On Test Fax (AHS.ca). Be sure to supply all details outlined in the APL lab bulletin. Results will be posted 1-3 days after the request is received. 
This bulletin also provides a reminder on measles testing for pregnant women – including those who are new to Canada, as some countries provide only a single dose of measles vaccine in their national immunization programs. Pregnant women new to Canada with a single dose should be considered for measles antibody testing, especially if they reside in areas with high measles activity.
Lab bulletin: Urine Toxicology Panels updated in North, Edmonton and Central zones 
Effective July 15, 2025, APL is updating the Urine General Toxicology Panel (UGTP) and Urine Opioid Dependency Panel (UODP). Three new analytes have been added to both panels. 

Lab bulletin: Delays in Urea Breath Testing 
Due to equipment issues, APL is temporarily referring all Urea Breath Tests (UBT) out of province to Dynacare. This change affects all zones and is expected to cause delays. 

Lab bulletin: New fixed cell-based assay-based Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody Testing
As of July 15, 2025, the University of Alberta Hospital lab in Edmonton will perform serum Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody (AChR) testing by fixed cell-based assay for all patients with clinical suspicion for Myasthenia Gravis. For updated details on ordering this test (for physicians using Connect Care and for those not using Connect Care) please see the lab bulletin. 
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