MEDICAL TESTINGMEDICAL TESTING

Laboratory Testing

Doctor requires

information

Patient sample

collection

Sample received & processed

Computer system

maintenance

Report generation

ESSENTIAL SUPPORTESSENTIAL SUPPORT

Specimen collection (on-site or TAFE training)Specimen collection (on-site or TAFE training) Safe transportation of biological and possibly Safe transportation of biological and possibly

infectious material infectious material Clerical skills including anatomy and medical Clerical skills including anatomy and medical

terminologyterminology Specimen handling skills and training in Specimen handling skills and training in

infection control and manual handlinginfection control and manual handling Information technologyInformation technology

WHO ARE MEDICAL WHO ARE MEDICAL SCIENTISTS?SCIENTISTS?

Medical Scientists Medical Scientists perform medical perform medical laboratory tests on laboratory tests on blood, other body blood, other body tissues which assist tissues which assist clinicians in the clinicians in the diagnosis, treatment diagnosis, treatment and prevention of and prevention of disease. Medical disease. Medical Scientists get results!Scientists get results!

WHERE DO MEDICAL WHERE DO MEDICAL SCIENTISTS WORK?SCIENTISTS WORK?

Medical scientists work inMedical scientists work in::

Hospital laboratoriesHospital laboratories

State Health Laboratories State Health Laboratories

UniversitiesUniversities

Private pathology laboratoriesPrivate pathology laboratories

What do you need to work in a What do you need to work in a laboratory ?laboratory ?

An interest in scienceAn interest in science

Be able to communicate well Be able to communicate well

Be able to use a computerBe able to use a computer

Must want to learn all the timeMust want to learn all the time

An interest in helping others.An interest in helping others.

DISCIPLINESDISCIPLINES Medical Laboratory Science in Medical Laboratory Science in

Australia comprises many Australia comprises many distinct professional disciplines. distinct professional disciplines. The main ones are:The main ones are:

HistopathologyHistopathology MicrobiologyMicrobiology CytologyCytology Blood TransfusionBlood Transfusion ImmunologyImmunology HaematologyHaematology Clinical biochemistryClinical biochemistry VirologyVirology

A bacterial cultureA bacterial culture

Identification of Identification of micro organisms micro organisms such as bacteria, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and fungi, viruses and parasites which parasites which cause infection, cause infection, and testing for and testing for effective effective antibiotics.antibiotics.

MICROBIOLOGYMICROBIOLOGY

MICROBIOLOGYMICROBIOLOGY Growth and Identification of BacteriaGrowth and Identification of Bacteria Samples from body sitesSamples from body sites Inoculated onto growth promoting Inoculated onto growth promoting

mediamedia Antibiotic Sensitivity DeterminedAntibiotic Sensitivity Determined

MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATIONMICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION

PARASITOLOGYPARASITOLOGY

Single cell and complex organismsSingle cell and complex organisms Colonise human GI tract, Urinary Colonise human GI tract, Urinary

tract and bloodtract and blood

HAEMATOLOGYHAEMATOLOGY Counting and viewing of blood cellsCounting and viewing of blood cells

Diagnose diseaseDiagnose disease Detect malignanciesDetect malignancies Monitor treatmentMonitor treatment Differentiate types of infectionDifferentiate types of infection

There are different types of There are different types of white cellswhite cells, each with a different job., each with a different job.

NeutrophilsNeutrophilsFight bacteria by Fight bacteria by releasing toxic releasing toxic substancessubstances

LymphocytesLymphocytesFight viruses by creating Fight viruses by creating antibodies which stick to antibodies which stick to viruses and cause them viruses and cause them to be eaten by to be eaten by MonocytesMonocytes..

LEUKAEMIALEUKAEMIA

Growth of abnormal cellsGrowth of abnormal cells

Reduced normal maturationReduced normal maturation

Result of reduced RBC, Platelets and Result of reduced RBC, Platelets and normal WCCnormal WCC

LABORATORY DIAGNOSISLABORATORY DIAGNOSIS

Blood testsBlood tests

Blood filmBlood film

Bone marrowBone marrow

Cell markersCell markers

ChromosomesChromosomes

TRANSFUSION SEROLOGYTRANSFUSION SEROLOGY

Blood products provided by Red Blood products provided by Red Cross Blood Transfusion ServiceCross Blood Transfusion Service

Laboratory ensures products are Laboratory ensures products are

compatible with recipientscompatible with recipients Required for emergencies and Required for emergencies and

elective procedureselective procedures Blood is not the only product usedBlood is not the only product used

BLOOD TRANSFUSION BLOOD TRANSFUSION Laboratory testing of Laboratory testing of

recipient blood and donor recipient blood and donor blood to ensure blood to ensure compatible and safe compatible and safe transfusion.transfusion.

Medical scientists in blood Medical scientists in blood transfusion or transfusion or immunohaematology, as it immunohaematology, as it is sometimes known, are is sometimes known, are responsible for the testing responsible for the testing of blood groups and of blood groups and compatibility of donor compatibility of donor blood, prior to transfusion.blood, prior to transfusion.

BLOOD GROUPINGBLOOD GROUPING

HISTOPATHOLOGYHISTOPATHOLOGY

Examination of Tissues for DiseaseExamination of Tissues for Disease

Samples removedSamples removed

ProcessedProcessed

Sectioned and StainedSectioned and Stained

Microscopic ExaminationMicroscopic Examination

DiagnosisDiagnosis

Slides stained to make cells clearly Slides stained to make cells clearly visiblevisible

CLINICAL CHEMISTRYCLINICAL CHEMISTRY

Measurement of amounts of specific Measurement of amounts of specific elements transported in the bloodelements transported in the blood

ProteinsProteins

SugarsSugars

Cellular breakdown productsCellular breakdown products

HormonesHormones

ToxinsToxins

CHEMISTRYCHEMISTRY Mostly automatedMostly automated Scientists need to understand:Scientists need to understand:

Cellular metabolismsCellular metabolisms Hormonal interactionsHormonal interactions Immune responsesImmune responses AnatomyAnatomy

VIROLOGYVIROLOGY

Identification of virusIdentification of virus Monitor course of infectionMonitor course of infection Common infectionsCommon infections

Colds & FluColds & Flu

HepatitisHepatitis

HIV/ AIDSHIV/ AIDS

Glandular FeverGlandular Fever

VIROLOGY VIROLOGY

Study of the Study of the consequences of viral consequences of viral infections. A scientist in a infections. A scientist in a virology laboratory virology laboratory performs assays to detect performs assays to detect the virus in host tissues or the virus in host tissues or in cells used to isolate the in cells used to isolate the virus from a host. These virus from a host. These assays might detect viral assays might detect viral nucleic acid or may nucleic acid or may involve immunological involve immunological assays to detect viral assays to detect viral proteins.proteins.

Papanicolaou smear under the Papanicolaou smear under the microscopemicroscope

Study of cells Medical Study of cells Medical scientists in cytology are scientists in cytology are interested in individual interested in individual abnormal cells, that are shed abnormal cells, that are shed from tissues. One of the from tissues. One of the more publicised areas of more publicised areas of their work is the their work is the Papanicolaou smear test (Pap Papanicolaou smear test (Pap Screen), which is used in the Screen), which is used in the early detection of cancer of early detection of cancer of the cervix. After the sample the cervix. After the sample has been collected onto a has been collected onto a microscope slide, they are microscope slide, they are responsible for staining it and responsible for staining it and screening for abnormal cells.screening for abnormal cells.

CYTOLOGY

IMMUNOLOGYIMMUNOLOGY A study of host responses to infection, malignancy

and tissue damage. A medical scientist is able to identify and quantitate

cells involved in immune responses. He/she is also able to identify and quantitate blood proteins produced in response to infection, malignancy or tissue damage or which play a role in protecting the body against these changes. As such an immunologist would diagnose, or assist in the diagnosis of, bacterial viral and fungal diseases, autoimmune diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis), hypersensitivity reactions (e.g. asthma), cancer (e.g. leukaemia) or immunological deficiencies in the host.

TOXICOLOGYTOXICOLOGY

Detect and Monitor Toxic SubstancesDetect and Monitor Toxic Substances Drugs of AbuseDrugs of Abuse Trace and Heavy MetalsTrace and Heavy Metals PoisonsPoisons

CHROMATOGRAPHYCHROMATOGRAPHY

Common techniqueCommon technique Seen in separating ink componentsSeen in separating ink components

DNA TECHNOLOGYDNA TECHNOLOGY

Complete composition of human DNA Complete composition of human DNA completecomplete

Variations in DNA can indicate Variations in DNA can indicate whether a disease is likely to occurwhether a disease is likely to occur

Techniques in DNA analysis common Techniques in DNA analysis common to other laboratory disciplinesto other laboratory disciplines