Intro Flashcards
CLINICAL LABORATORY MEDICINE
The analysis of body fluids and tissues performed to aid physicians in their ability to diagnose and care for their patients
DISCIPLINES WITHIN CLINICAL LABORATORY MEDICINE
- Hematology
- Urinalysis
- Clinical chemistry
- Serology (Immunology, Immunodiagnostics)
- Hemostasis
TYPES OF CLINICAL LABORATORY FACILITIES
- Commercial Laboratory - - for example Quest Diagnostics
- Hospital laboratory
- Physician’s office laboratory
- Specialty laboratory
- Government laboratory
INDICATIONS FOR ORDERING LABORATORY TESTS
- Confirmation of a clinical impression or establish a diagnosis
- Rule out a diagnosis
- Monitor therapy (management guide)
- Establish a prognosis
- Screen for health; preventative medicine; wellness care
WELLNESS SCREENING
“This is the testing of asymptomatic individuals who are basically healthy. One should screen for diseases that are (1) prevalent, (2) can be detected before clinical findings develop, (3) are treatable, and (4) have harmful consequences if left untreated.
Patient test results are reported along with a…
numerical range of test values that are found in healthy individuals.
RRs are established by testing large numbers of healthy individuals, then performing…
a statistical analysis of the results.
The range of results ideally reflects a symmetrical
mathematical Gaussian distribution.
Reference range values have traditionally been reported in the USA via ?
Conventional Units, which is not a pure metric system.
SI Units, or International Units are purely metric, and are used almost everywhere except for the?
USA
VARIABLES AFFECTING TEST RESULTS
- Age
- Gender “Host factors”
- Race
SOURCES OF ERROR IN LABORATORY TESTING
- Analytic variation due to methodology
- Improper patient instructions (doctor error), or poor patient compliance to instructions (patient error)
- Improper specimen collection
- Awareness of diurnal variations
- Faulty specimen handling after collection
- Faulty test result reporting
- Laboratory error
