| A | B |
|---|
| 4 reasons to perform diagnostic testing | source of info for diagnosis, tool for disease screening, for early detection of conditions, baseline for patients undergoing treatment or surgery |
| homeostasis | normal state of balance or equilibrium in the body |
| reference range | range of values normally expected for a particular test |
| abnormal | results that are above or below the reference range |
| test profiles | tests that are commonly ordered in groups |
| Private lab | freestanding lab or one located in a clinic; run by a private company by regulated by the government |
| Public Health Lab | Lab operated by the government; provides analysis of samples for diseases of concern, such as HIV, hepatitis, SARS, West Nile, etc |
| Facilities in a Hospital | hematology, immunohematology, chemistry, microbiology, histology, pathology, cytology, X-ray, CT Scan, MRI, etc |
| Medical Laboratory Technologist | Allied health professional who can supervise and carry out all clinical laboratory testing |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Allied health professional who can perform basic clinical testing under supervision |
| phlebotomist | professional who can collect hematological specimens, prepare and maintain equipment; usually a technologist or other professional with phlebotomy as an add-on skill |
| physicians in laboratory fields | hematologist, pathologist, cytologist, radiologist |
| hematology | study of blood; processing and evaluation of blood and blood components; mainly concerned with testing the cellular components |
| Biochemistry Testing | Tests performed on urine, blood plasma (serum), and other body fluids |
| Serum | Blood plasma with all cellular components removed; obtained by centrifuging whole blood |
| NPO | Nothing by mouth - no food or drink |
| urinalysis | testing of urine |
| Timed (24-hour) Urine Collection | Collection of all urine produced in 24-hours; used to see daily cumulative elements in the urine, such as protein and hormone levels |
| Random Urine Collection | urine specimen obtained anytime; used for primary screening |
| Early (1st) Morning Specimen | urine specimen taken from the first void of the morning; used because volume and composition are more uniform and pH is lower so formed elements are preserved |
| Microbiology | study of body fluids and tissues for infectious organisms |
| CCMSU | Clean Catch Midstream Urine specimen; urethral meatus is cleansed before obtaining a midstream specimen |
| diagnostic imaging | any visual display of structural or functional patterns of organs or tissues for evaluation |
| radiography | process of recording an image using X-rays |
| Radiopaque | dense substances that do not allow x-rays to pass through; create a white area on x-ray film; ex bones, dense muscle |
| radiolucent | materials that allow x-rays to pass through; create a black area on x-ray film; ex air, gasses, soft tissue |
| contrast medium | chemical or substance that is radiopaque and can fill a hollow organ so it can be seen on an x-ray |
| fluoroscopy | special x-ray technique that allows viewing of images in real time; often used to guide a procedure |
| Upper GI series | barium swallow; fluoroscopic examination of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum using oral administration of barium sulfate as a contrast medium |
| Lower GI Series | Barium enema; fluoroscopic examination of the colon, employing rectal administration of barium sulphate as a contrast medium |
| ultrasonography | using sound waves to produce images of soft tissues; can visualize in real time |
| CT Scan | Computed Tomography; using a computer along with an x-ray machine to produce cross-sectional images of the body |
| MRI | Magnetic Resonance Imagining; use of a powerful magnetic field and radiofrequency pulses to image various systems; useful for soft tissues; some types are unavailable for patients who are claustrophobic or have metal in their body |
| mammography | x-ray imaging of the breast using low-dose radiation |
| Bone densitometry (DEXA) | dual-source radiographic examination performed on the hip and spine; used to diagnose osteoporosis |
| Endoscopy | visual examination of the inside of the body using a camera attached to a flexible tube |
| AP | Anteroposterior; x-rays passing from the front to the back |
| PA | Posteroanterior; x-rays passing from the back to the front |
| RL | Right lateral |
| LL | Left lateral |
| Oblique | x-rays passing through on a diagonal |
| Supine position | laying flat on the back |
| prone position | lying flat on the stomach |
| immunology | assessing the action of the immune system and identifying antibodies present in blood |
| cytology | evaluation of cells in fluid or aspirated, scraped or washed from a body surface |
| biohazard transport bag | plastic bag designed for transportation of biohazardous material |
