Introduction to clinical Pathology

DR.N.SWAGATH
 Introduction cont.
Definition :
Clinical Pathology (also known as clinical
biochemistry, chemical pathology, medical
biochemistry or pure blood chemistry) is the
area of pathology that is generally concerned
with analysis of bodily fluids.
 Introduction cont.
Most current laboratories are now highly
automated and use assays that are closely
monitored and quality controlled
 Introduction cont.
All biochemical tests come under chemical
pathology.
These are performed on any kind of body
fluid, but mostly on serum or plasma.
Serum is the yellow watery part of blood that
is left after blood has been allowed to clot and
all blood cells have been removed.
 Introduction cont.
This is most easily done by centrifugation which
packs the denser blood cells and platelets to the
bottom of the centrifuge tube, leaving the liquid
serum fraction resting above the packed cells.
Plasma is essentially the same as serum, but is
obtained by centrifuging the blood without
clotting.
Plasma therefore contains all of the clotting
factors, including fibrinogen.
 Introduction cont.
A large medical laboratory will accept samples
for up to about 700 different kinds of tests.
Even the largest of laboratories rarely do all
these tests themselves and some need to be
referred to other labs.
 Introduction cont.
This large array of tests can be further sub
categorised into sub-specialities of:
General or routine chemistry
Endocrinology - the study of hormones
Immunology - the study of the immune
system and antibodies
Pharmacology or Toxicology - the study of
drugs
 Common clinical pathology tests
include:
Electrolytes
Sodium;
Potassium;
Chloride;
Bicarbonate;
 Common clinical pathology tests
include: cont.
Renal (Kidney) Function Tests
Creatinine;
Blood urea nitrogen;
Urate
 Common clinical pathology tests
include:
Liver Function Tests
Total protein;
Albumin;
Bilirubin; direct; indirect; total
AST;
ALT;
GGT;
ALP;
 Common clinical pathology tests
include:
Cardiac Markers
Troponin
Myoglobin
CK-MB
ANP(A type Natriuretic peptide)
Common clinical pathology tests
include
Minerals
Calcium;
Phosphate;
Magnesium;
 Common clinical pathology tests
include
Blood Disorders
Iron;
Transferrin;
TIBC
Vitamin B12
Folic acid
 Common clinical pathology tests
include
Lipids profiles
Cholesterol
TG
HDL-cholesterol
VLDL-cholesterol
LDL-cholesterol
 Common clinical pathology tests
include
Hormones
Testosterone
Prolactin
Progesterone
Estrogen
LH
FSH
TSH
T3,T4
 Common clinical pathology tests
include :cont.
Miscellaneous
Globulins;
Glucose;
C-reactive protein;
Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c).
Arterial blood gases
Stone analysis(Renal and Gall stones)
 Solute and solvent
In a solution, solvent is defined as the base substance,
wherein the solute is being dissolved.
While a solute is a substance that is dissolved into the
solvent.
It is not mandatory that a solution should be made up of
only one solute and one solvent.
In short, a solution can be prepared by combining two or
more substances, provided the solutes are dissolving in the
solvents.
 Solute, Solvent, and Solution
cont.
It is important to distinguish between three
closely related terms solute, solvent, and
solution.
Solute The substance that dissolves to form
a solution
Solvent The substance in which a solute
dissolves
Solution A mixture of one or more solutes
dissolved in a solvent
 Solute, Solvent, and Solution
cont.
The following rules can be used to decide
which component of a solution is the solute
and which is the solvent.
There are three states of matter: solids,
liquids, and gases.
Any reagent that undergoes a change in state
when it forms a solution is the solute.
If neither reagent changes state, the reagent
present in the smallest amount is the solute.
Thank you