Clinical Testing Specialties

Question 1

How do you calculate M:E ratio?

Answer 1

ratio of sum of myeloid cells to erythroid

myeloid = blasts, promyelocytes, myelocytes, metamyelocytes, bands, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils

E = normoblasts (Immature RBC)

ignore: lymphocytes, monocytes

Question 2

What is immunohematology?

Answer 2

Immunohematology is a branch of hematology and transfusion medicine which studies antigen-antibody reactions and analogous phenomena as they relate to the pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of blood disorders.

blood typing, cross-matching and antibody identification.

In the immunohematology reference laboratory, hemagglutination is the gold standard test to detect reactions between antibody and antigens.

Immunohaematology is the study of blood and blood-forming organs. It is a branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases that affect the production of blood cells and platelets.

Question 3

What is histocompatibility testing and its purpose?

Answer 3

The goal of histocompatibility testing is to ensure that a transplanted organ remains viable in the recipient for the longest period of time. Three sets of tests are performed to accomplish this goal. The first is determining the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) types of the patient and donor. This test allows for determination of the amount of mismatch between a donor and a recipient. The second is determining the presence and identity of any anti-HLA antibodies by testing against a reference cell panel, otherwise known as panel-reactive antibody or PRA testing. Lastly, donor-specific antibody response is measured in the crossmatch assay. The goal of antibody testing (PRA and crossmatch) is to determine if there are anti-HLA antibodies present in the recipient and, if so, are these antibodies clinically significant.

Histocompatibility literally means tissue compatibility and involves testing donors and recipients to see if they are HLA matches.

Histocompatibility testing, also known as “HLA” testing, is among the highest complexity testing performed in clinical laboratories. Most HLA laboratories utilize molecular methodologies for typing patients at several HLA loci and a variety of test methodologies for HLA antibody screening and crossmatching.

Question 4

What are the 9 CLIA specialties?

Answer 4

Histocompatibility

Microbiology

Diagnostic Immunology

Chemistry

Hematology

Immunohematology

Pathology

Radiobioassay

Clinical Cytogenetics

Question 5

What is the subspecialty mycobacteriology testing for?

Answer 5

performs traditional culture and molecular diagnostics for M. tuberculosis and other Mycobacterium species.

Question 6

What are the 5 subspecialties of microbiology testing?

Answer 6

Bacteriology

Mycobacteriology

Mycology

Parasitology

Virology

Question 7

What is tested in the subspecialty of parasitology?

Answer 7

Medical parasitology traditionally has included the study of three major groups of animals: parasitic protozoa, parasitic helminths (worms), and those arthropods that directly cause disease or act as vectors of various pathogens. A parasite is a pathogen that simultaneously injures and derives sustenance from its host.

Question 8

What is tested in Diagnostic Immunology?

Answer 8

The immunology lab performs tests to help diagnose and treat rare primary immunodeficiencies and other disorders of the immune system in children.

Question 9

What is the subspecialty of routine chemistry?

Answer 9

General or routine chemistry is the area of laboratory medicine dealing with measuring commonly ordered analytes

Question 10

What is tested in Toxicology subspecialty?

Answer 10

It can be used to evaluate possible accidental or intentional overdose or poisoning. It may help determine the cause of acute drug toxicity, monitor drug dependency, and determine the presence of substances in the body for medical or legal purposes.

Question 11

What are the 4 subspecialties of Chemistry?

Answer 11

Routine chemistry

urinanalysis

endocrinology

toxicology

Question 12

What is tested in specialty of Hematology?

Answer 12

Hematology is the study of blood and blood disorders. Hematologists and hematopathologists are highly trained healthcare providers. They specialize in diseases of the blood and blood components.

Routine hematology testing including complete blood count, blood differential, smear morphology and bone marrow staining

Routine coagulation testing (PT and PTT)

Advanced hematology testing including flow cytometry testing for lymphomas, leukemias, plasma cell neoplasms, systemic mastocytosis, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and other lymphoproliferative disorders

Hemoglobin electrophoresis

Advanced coagulation testing including hypercoagulability studies, coagulation factor and inhibitor studies, platelet antibody and aggregation, antiphospholipid antibody testing, ristocetin titration and others

Urinalysis, body fluid analysis and cell counts

Question 13

What are the 5 subspecialties of immunohematology?

Answer 13

ABO Group & Rh Type

Antibody detection (transfusion)

antibody detection (non-transfusion)

antibody identification

compatibility testing

Question 14

What are the three subspecialties of pathology?

Answer 14

histopathology

oral pathology

cytology

Question 15

What does the subspecialty of histopathology do?

Answer 15

Histopathology is the diagnosis and study of diseases of the tissues, and involves examining tissues and/or cells under a microscope. Histopathologists are responsible for making tissue diagnoses and helping clinicians manage a patient’s care.

diagnosis by examining a small piece of tissue from the skin, liver, kidney or other organ. This is called a biopsy.

Question 16

What is the subspecialty of oral pathology?

Answer 16

Oral pathology (oral and maxillofacial pathology/head and neck pathology) is a specialized field of pathology dealing with the diseases of oral cavity and its associated structures (i.e., teeth, tongue; bony tissue [maxilla and mandible]; joint [temporomandibular joint]; lymph nodes; nerves; structures in neck and blood vessels of the ear, nose and throat [pharynx and larynx]). The qualified doctors of this domain are called oral and maxillofacial pathologists.

Question 17

What is done in cytology subspecialty?

Answer 17

Cytology is the exam of a single cell type, as often found in fluid specimens. It’s mainly used to diagnose or screen for cancer. It’s also used to screen for fetal abnormalities, for pap smears, to diagnose infectious organisms, and in other screening and diagnostic areas.

The most famous ones are FNA, fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB), and needle aspiration biopsy cytology (NABC). All of them mean the same thing; aspirating cellular material using a fine needle to make a diagnosis.

Question 18

What is clinical cytogenetics?

Answer 18

Clinical cytogenetics is the study of the relationship of chromosomal alterations and genetic diseases in human beings.

detecting, analysing and interpreting genetic diseases in human blood, tissue and bodily fluid samples

Question 19

What is antibody detection (Transfusion)?

Answer 19

An RBC antibody screen is used to check your blood for RBC antibodies before you have a blood transfusion or when you’re pregnant: Before a blood transfusion, the test can help show whether donor blood is compatible (well matched) with your blood

Question 20

What is tested in mycology subspecialty?

Answer 20

Fungal infections

Question 21

What is compatbility testing subspecialty?

Answer 21

The full compatibility testing process involves ABO and RhD (Rh factor) typing; screening for antibodies against other blood group systems; and crossmatching, which involves testing the recipient’s blood plasma against the donor’s red blood cells as a final check for incompatibility.

Question 22

What does diagnostic immunology look at?

Answer 22

sub-specialties of primary immunodeficiency diseases, allergy and immunology, rheumatology, autoimmune and infectious-disease serology and hematologic malignancies. T