ML 112 - Clinical Analysis I

Credit Hours: 3

This course introduces the student to clinical chemistry. Lecture topics include the discussion of laboratory chemicals, laboratory safety, methods of water purification, weight measurements, specific gravity, point of care testing, collection and handling of blood specimens, variation in laboratory results, colorimetric analysis, laboratory automation, and quality control principles. Students will have an opportunity to observe laboratory demonstrations and participate in laboratory activities that will reinforce lecture concepts.

Course Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

identify which of the various grades of chemicals is suitable for use in clinical analysis and state common storage and safety precautions for laboratory chemicals;
identify the kinds of water to be used in clinical analysis, describe methods of water purification, and perform a simple distillation activity;
demonstrate an understanding of weight, volume, and specific gravity measurement in the laboratory; competency will be measured with simple laboratory activities which include measurement of sugar content (specific gravity measurement) using the urinometers, solution preparation, and concentration measurement by laboratory analysis;
discuss the principles of continuous flow, discrete sample, centrifugal, and dry chemistry analyzers; students will perform simple analysis on the spectrophotometer;
describe and contrast commonly used automated laboratory instruments;
state whether an anticoagulant is needed in the collection of a blood specimen, and if so, which anticoagulant is preferable for the particular determination;
state the precautions required in the collection and handling of specimens for particular determinations; students will experience a demonstration of phlebotomy techniques for venous and capillary specimen collection which includes vacutainers used in the collection;
discuss the collection of specimens for Point of Care testing (POCT) and various testing that can be done; students will experience a demonstration of capillary specimen collection and use of the glucometer for glucose testing;
name and describe the factors that can cause variations in laboratory results; students will work together in teams to identify causes of laboratory variation scenarios and compose a case study to illustrate variation then present findings to the class;
state the essential characteristics of controls and explain their use in the clinical laboratory; students will act as teams to evaluate a new control and set up ranges; students will analyze variations in analytic data and apply Westgard rules, then determine corrective action;
describe the setting up and interpretation of quality control charts; and
discuss the development of reference ranges.

Corequisites: CH 180/CH 181 and MT 143 or permission of instructor.
F (N)