UNIT 1 - Intro to Clin Path

Question 1

What is clinical pathology?

Answer 1

Subspecialty of pathology that utilizes laboratory methods for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

Question 2

What is hematology?

Answer 2

Branch of clin path concerned with the diagnosis of disease via evaluation of a blood smear and complete blood count (CBC).

Question 3

What is hemostasis?

Answer 3

Complex physiologic process that involves cells, platelets, coagulation factors, and coagulation inhibitors working together to balance between hemorrhage (bleeding) and thrombosis (clotting).

Question 4

T/F: Clin path can always provide a definitive diagnosis

Answer 4

False

Question 5

What is a reference interval?

Answer 5

Results we could expect to find in healthy animals.

Question 6

How are RIs determined?

Answer 6

Population-based from healthy animals (>60)

Established using +/- 2 standard deviations from the mean

Question 7

___% of “healthy” animals have values outside of the RI.

Answer 7

5%

Question 8

What are 3 reasons why a value would be outside of the RI?

Answer 8

1. Disease process
2. Biologic variables (age, gender, breed, etc.)
3. Errors (preanalytical, analytical, postanalytical)

Question 9

What are some examples of preanalytical errors?

Answer 9

Patient prep, collection method, inappropriate tube, poor handling, poor storage, labeling error, delayed processing

Question 10

What are some examples of analytical errors?

Answer 10

Inappropriate method for spp, instrument quality, reagent quality, interfering substances

Question 11

What are some examples of postanalytical errors?

Answer 11

Transcriptional errors, use of RI from other lab/book/instrument manual

Question 12

What locations can ensure “clean” venipuncture?

Answer 12

Jugular, cephalic, saphenous veins

Question 13

What color tube do you use for a CBC and what substance does it contain?

Answer 13

Purple/lavender top

Contains EDTA

Question 14

What color tube does a coagulation panel use and what does the tube contain?

Answer 14

Blue top tube

Contains citrate

Question 15

What color tube is used for a chemistry and what does it contain?

Answer 15

Red top tube = No anticoagulant (used for serum)

Green top tube = Heparin (used for plasma)

Question 16

What is diagnostic sensitivity?

Answer 16

Frequency in which a test is (+) in patients that have the disease of interest.

Question 17

What are characteristics of a test with good diagnostic sensitivity?

Answer 17

1. Has few false negatives
2. Good “screening” test
3. If animal has the disease, there is a good chance the test will detect it

Question 18

What is diagnostic specificity?

Answer 18

Frequency in which a test is (-) in patients that do not have the disease of interest.

Question 19

What are characteristics of a test with good diagnostic specificity?

Answer 19

1. Few false positives
2. Good confirmatory test
3. Positive indicates that there is a high probability that the animal has the disease