Intro to Pathology and Laboratory Medicine/Causes of Disease, Morbidity, and Mortality Flashcards
What are Pathologists?
Experts in disease. Their job is to work out what is making someone unwell, advise on their treatment, and stop other people from getting ill the same way
What are the different forms of Clinical Pathology?
- Microbiology
- Clinical Chemistry
- Blood bank/Hematology
- Immunology
What is Clinical Chemistry?
Form of clinical pathology that covers a bunch of different clinical and biochemical tests
What is Microbiology?
Form of clinical pathology that looks at microorganisms, viruses, and bacteria
What is Blood bank/Hematology?
Form of clinical pathology responsible for the blood products that are distributed in the hospital
What are the possible tests to perform on blood? (6)
- Cell counts
- Electrolytes
- Proteins
- Markers of Inflammation
- Liver and kidney function tests
- Genetic test
What are the possible tests to perform on urine? (5)
- Blood
- Leukocytes
- Protein
- Drugs
- Organisms
What are the possible tests to perform on sputum?
- Culture
- Cytopathological examination
What are the possible tests to perform on stool?
- Blood
- Ova
- Parasites
What are the possible tests to perform on other body fluids?
- Culture
- Cytopathological examination
What are the different forms of Anatomical Pathology?
- Surgical Pathology
- Cytopathology
- Forensic Pathology
- Molecular Pathology
What is Surgical Pathology?
Form of anatomical pathology that looks at large tissue specimens and their architecture under a microscope for diagnoses
What is Cytopathology?
Form of anatomical pathology that looks at individual cells, in the absence of architecture
What is Forensic Pathology?
Form of anatomical pathology that specialize in forensics and perform autopsies including criminal suspicious cases
What is Molecular Pathology?
Form of anatomical pathology that looks at the surgical inside of pathology
What are the different types of samples in Cytopathology?
- Exfoliative
- Interventional
What are the different types of Exfoliative Cytopathology Samples?
- Spontaneous: spontaneously produced by the patient; Pleural or peritoneal fluid, Sputum, and Urine
- Mechanical: intervention to scrape off cells from a patients mucus lining; Cervical pap smear, Bronchial brushings
What is the specific type of Interventional Cytopathology Samples?
Fine needle aspiration: Where cells are sucked out to be looked at under the microscope; Lymph node, Thyroid
What are the different types of Surgical Pathology?
- Gross (macroscopic) examination of organs and tissue; Biopsies, Surgical resections
- Histological (microscopic) examination
- Generation of a diagnostic pathology report
What are the different Techniques in Pathology?
- Gross examination: examination of the specimen with the naked eye
- Microscopic examination
- Electron Microscopy: changes in organelles
- Ancillary tests
What are the different types of Ancillary tests?
- Immunohistochemistry: testings for specific protein markers
- Special histochemical stains: to identify microorganisms
- Molecular pathology: looking at the genetic make up or the DNA of the tissue that we’re examining; chromosomal analysis, and DNA sequencing
What type of stains give a purple and pink colouring?
Hematoxylin and Eosin Stains
What are the components of a Pathology Report?
- Diagnoses
- Several factors that are important in patient staging in order to determine the patients next steps
What is a Biopsy?
When tissue is removed from the body for examination
What are the different steps of Biopsy sample testing? (11 steps)
Step 1: the biopsy samples are booked in and prioritised
Step 2: larger, more complex samples, are dealt with by consultants
Step 3: smaller tissue samples like biopsies, are cut by scientists
Step 4: all the water content is removed from the tissue to make it rigid
Step 5: hot wax is poured over the tissue to embed and support it
Step 6: the wax block has the tissue in it and is cut into very thin slices
Step 7: the slices are put onto slides
Step 8: the slides are dyed to make them more visible under the microscope
Step 9: quality control - the scientists make sure the process so far is accurate
Step 10: the consultant looks at the sample and makes a diagnoses
Step 11: the GP reports back the results to the patient
What is Laboratory Medicine?
The discipline involved in the selection, provision and interpretation of diagnostic testing on samples from patients
What is Clinical Biochemistry?
The application of chemical, molecular and cellular concepts and techniques to the understanding and evaluation of human health disease; it is the provision of results of measurements and observations relevant to a disease or state of health
Why are Lab Tests requested? (10)
- Diagnosis of a disease
- Screening for a disease
- Determine severity of an illness
- Determine appropriate management
- Monitor progress of surgical recovery
- Therapeutic drug monitoring
- Identify drugs of abuse or poisonings
- Assessment of baseline or nutritional status
- Protection against legal repercussions
- Re-test to verify abnormal results
What are the main methods of collecting blood?
- Finger prick
- Venipuncture
What process should you be aware of when you draw blood?
Order of Draw
What is the Order of Draw?
The order in which you must draw blood to ensure you collect the proper specimen type in the correct tub and follow the correct order of draw
What is the sequence of the Order of Draw?
- Light Blue
- Red
- Gold
- Royal Blue (serum)
- Green
- Light Green
- Royal Blue (K2 EDTA)
- Lavender
- Grey
What are Serums?
Blood samples that are collected
What are the different types of Serums?
- Anti-coagulant
- Serum Separation tube (sst)
What is an Anti-coagulant sample?
- Sample in a red top tube
- allowed to clot
- then centrifuged and separated from the cells
What is a Serum Separation Tube (SST)?
- Sample in a gold top tube
- provides a physical barrier between the serum cells after centrifugation
- allows for much better stability of analyte and allows for transport of a spun tube
What are the Green Topped Tubes?
- Blood samples (Plasma) that are collected with Heparin to prevent clotting
- Advantage: faster sample processing, and smaller sample volume
What are the Lavender Topped Tubes?
- Blood plasma collected with EDTA to preserve cellular elements of blood
- used for hematology tests such as CBC
What are Lavender Topped Tubes not good for?
- Divalent elements, such as Ca or Mg which are bound by EDTA
- Enzymes which require these ions as co-factors
What are the 8 different types of preanalytical phase testing errors?
- Incorrect Sample Type
- Ensue Correct Order of Draw
- Under-filled tubes
- Ensure tubes are mixed appropriately after collection
- Sample Hemolysis
- Extreme Temperature Exposure/Storage Conditions
- Delayed Transportation
- Time from Collection to Processing or Analysis