Instructions for Using StoneSheet-24 and StoneSheet Spot

Enter the data requested in the yellow boxes.  Use the tab key, arrow keys or mouse to move to the next field.  The tab key is easiest because it will take you directly to the next field.  Note when your cursor is in a box, a message will appear telling you what to put in that box.  If you have an Office Assistant turned on (one of those silly characters that offers advice) then the instructions will appear as a quote from the assistant.

Be sure the units on the StoneSheet correspond to those on your lab report, or convert them as needed.  For example, the StoneSheet requires total urine volume in liters, while most lab reports use milliliters.  (The units on the StoneSheet were chosen to correspond with those on the Mission Pharmacal StoneRisk report.)

Use the drop-down menus to select pubertal status and sex.

When you have entered all the data, move the cursor to any other field and read the results.

You can write or type your interpretation in the “Notes” section.  (StoneSheet Spot does not have a Notes section.)

If you would like a hard copy, just print it out.  It fits nicely on one page.

Fun Things for Advanced Users

Add your own logo:  Remove the logo at the bottom right, then paste in your logo.  Type in the name of your practice or hospital.

Create a macro to sign your reports:  Write your signature on a piece of paper and scan it.  Crop and save the file to your hard drive as a jpeg or gif file.  Now select Tools—Macro—Record New Macro.  In the box which pops up, type in a name such as “Signature.”  Select a shortcut key such as Control-S.  After you click OK, the box disappears.  You are now recording.  Select Insert—Picture—From File…  Now select that signature file.  Move it to the bottom of the “Notes” section and then click on the stop recording button (that little button with a square on it.)  Save the document.  Now any time you want to add your signature just type control-S.

How Does it Work?

It’s all about math and fancy formatting.  The StoneSheet simply calculates various values and then compares them to a reference range.  The age-specific reference range is selected by if-then algorithms.  The graphs are standardized using a multiplier so that the normal limit is always in the center, at the dashed line.  Caution and out-of-range messages appear using if-then algorithms and conditional formatting.  This is all done using Excel commands; there are no macros or programming language involved.  The hardest part was developing all the formulae, testing them, and formatting the spreadsheet.

How is This Different from the Lab Report?

The reference ranges provided by most commercial labs are for adults, not children.  For example, 24-hour calcium excretion may be reported in mg/day, whereas in pediatrics we need to know mg/kg/day.  Uric acid for adults is usually in mg/day, but for children we use a creatinine factor to determine mg per dl of GFR.  The StoneSheet converts this data into information appropriate for pediatric practice in a quick and easy manner. See my poster for an example of how this can be useful. 

Questions?  Comments?  Problems?

Use the contact information page to contact me.