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Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Our clinical laboratories provide inpatient, outpatient and outreach laboratory services for Children's Mercy patients and the greater Kansas City community.

Why Children’s Mercy for your laboratory services?

  • Age-specific reference ranges

  • Broad test menu ranging from routine analysis to esoteric

  • Maximum testing with minimal sample sizes

  • Dedicated pediatric phlebotomists to minimize multiple venipunctures and redraws

  • Laboratory-to-clinician consultation to facilitate effective test ordering and result interpretation

  • Professional staff skilled in detecting & interpreting test abnormalities and disease states specific to children

  • Commitment to quality process - planning, control and improvement

Infectious Disease Weekly Updates

Last week's results: updated November 17, 2025

Rapid Flu/RSV/COVID/Rhino RT PCR

  Weekly Positive Percent Positive Year to Date Positive Year to Date Percent
Flu A 12 4 16 3
Flu B 2 1 2 0.4
RSV 16 4 23 4
COVID 12 3 18 3
Rhino* 182 48 251 47
Tested 379   529  

*Due to genetic similarity between human rhinovirus and enterovirus, this assay cannot distinguish between them. Both organisms are reported as Human rhinovirus.

Enterovirus/Human Parechovirus RT PCR

  Weekly Positive Weekly Tested Percent Positive Year to date Positive Year to date Tested Year to date Percent
Enterovirus 1 10 10 25 347 7
Parechovirus 0 5 0 18 210 9

 

Pertussis/Parapertussis PCR

  Weekly Positive Percent Positive Year to date Tested Year to date Percent
B. pertussis 5 25 113 24
B. parapertussis 0 0 0 0
Tested 20   470  

 

Respiratory Panel - FilmArray PCR

(88/147) 60%

Pathogen # detected Pathogen # detected Pathogen # detected
Flu A 0 Para 1  4 Corona OC43 0
Flu A H1 0 Para 2  12 M. pneumoniae 0
Flu A H3 0 Para 3 1 C. pneumoniae 0
Flu A 2009 H1 0 Para 4 0 B. pertussis 1
Flu B 0 Rhino 49 B. parapertussis 0
RSV 4 Corona HKU1 1 SARS-CoV2 4
MPV 2 Corona NL63 0    
Adeno 9 Corona 229E 1    

 

Group A Streptococcus Rapid Antigen Test

Rapid Test Positive/Total Follow-Up Culture
Children's Mercy Hospital (6/52) 12% (5) 11%
Children's Mercy Northland (19/89) 21% (6) 8%
Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas (8/43) 19%  (1) 3%
Children's Mercy Broadway (2/10) 20% (1) 13%
Children's Mercy Blue Valley (4/57) 7% (3) 6%
Children's Mercy East (17/95) 18% (10) 13%