Clinical Chemistry, Immunology and Laboratory Quality Control: A Comprehensive Review for Board Preparation, Certification and Clinical Practice

All pathology residents must have a good command of clinical chemistry, toxicology, immunology, and laboratory statistics to be successful pathologists, as well as to pass the American Board of Pathology examination. Clinical chemistry, however, is a topic in which many senior medical students and pathology residents face challenges. Clinical Chemistry, Immunology and Laboratory Quality Control meets this challenge head on with a clear and easy-to-read presentation of core topics and detailed case studies that illustrate the application of clinical chemistry knowledge to everyday patient care.

This basic primer offers practical examples of how things function in the pathology clinic as well as useful lists, sample questions, and a bullet-point format ideal for quick pre-Board review. While larger textbooks in clinical chemistry provide highly detailed information regarding instrumentation and statistics, this may be too much information for students, residents, and clinicians. This book is designed to educate senior medical students, residents, and fellows, and to "refresh" the knowledge base of practicing clinicians on how tests are performed in their laboratories (i.e., method principles, interferences, and limitations).

Takes a practical and easy-to-read approach to understanding clinical chemistry and toxicologyCovers all important clinical information found in larger textbooks in a more succinct and easy-to-understand mannerCovers essential concepts in instrumentation and statistics in such a way that fellows and clinicians understand the methods without having to become specialists in the fieldIncludes chapters on drug-herb interaction and pharmacogenomics, topics not covered by textbooks in the field of clinical chemistry or laboratory medicine

1. Instrumentation and Analytical Methods

2. Immunoassay Platform and Designs

3. Pre-Analytical Variables

4. Laboratory Statistics and Quality Control

5. Water, Homeostasis, Electrolytes, and Acid-Base Balance

6. Lipid Metabolism and Disorders

7. Carbohydrate Metabolism, Diabetes, and Hypoglycemia

8. Cardiac Markers

9. Endocrinology

10. Liver Diseases and Liver Function Tests

11. Renal Function Tests

12. Inborn Errors of Metabolism

13. Tumor Markers

14. Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

15. Interferences in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

16. Drugs of Abuse Testing

17. Challenges in Drugs of Abuse Testing: Magic Mushrooms, Peyote Cactus, and Designer Drugs

18. Testing for Ethyl Alcohol (Alcohol) and Other Volatiles

19. Common Poisoning Including Heavy Metal Poisoning

20. Pharmacogenomics

21. Hemoglobinopathy

22. Protein Electrophoresis and Immunofixation

23. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis Testing

24. Autoimmunity, Complement, and Immunodeficiency

25. Effects of Herbal Supplements on Clinical Laboratory Test Results