Introduction to Clinical Chemistry: Basic Principles & Practices

Flashcards covering the fundamentals of clinical chemistry, including measurement units, reagent grades, safety documentation (MSDS/SDS), standards, and water purity specifications.

Clinical Laboratory Goals

To facilitate the correct performance of analytic procedures yielding accurate information, aid in patient diagnosis and treatment, ensure correct use of supplies, and provide an understanding of fundamental analytic concepts.

Units of Measurement Components

Any meaningful quantitative laboratory result consists of a numeric value (the number) and a label identifying the physical quantity or dimension (the unit).

System Internationale d’ Unites (SI)

A system preferred in scientific literature and clinical laboratories based on the metric system, which utilizes standard prefixes to indicate decimal fractions or multiples.

Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC)

A database system that uses its own coding system for the electronic transmission of laboratory observations and data management.

Reference Ranges

Data values that are not universal for most clinical chemistry tests and must be included in laboratory reports for proper interpretation.

Analytic Reagent (AR) Grade

A category of chemicals suitable for most analytic laboratory procedures that meets or exceeds the specifications established by the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Ultrapure Chemicals

Chemicals that have undergone additional purification steps for specific purposes such as chromatography, atomic absorption, and immunoassays.

Chemically Pure (CP) or Pure Grade

Chemicals where impurity limitations are not uniform and preparation is not standardized; they are not recommended for use in clinical laboratories.

United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and National Formulary (NF) Grade

Chemicals used primarily to manufacture drugs; their purity standards are not specifically based on the needs of a clinical laboratory.

Technical or Commercial Grade

Chemicals used for manufacturing purposes that are never used in clinical laboratories.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

A document provided by suppliers or manufacturers containing hazard information (health, fire, reactivity, environmental) and instructions for safe handling and emergency procedures; currently known as the Safety Data Sheet (SDS).

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

The authority whose laws require manufacturers to clearly indicate lot numbers, health hazards, and precautions for the safe use and storage of chemicals.

Globally Harmonized System (GHS)

The system that defines the standard $16$-section formatting followed by all Safety Data Sheets (SDSs).

Primary Standards

Highly accurate materials directly traceable to international standards, used to establish the accuracy of instruments and verify calibrators.

Standard Reference Materials (SRMs)

Examples of primary standards issued by organizations such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Secondary Standards

Also known as calibrators or working solutions; these are derived from primary standards and used for daily analysis purposes but are less rigorously characterized.

Standard

A material of known composition available in a highly purified form, universally identified by the color white.

Control

A material with physical and chemical properties closely resembling the unknown, containing pre-analyzed concentrations of substances; universally identified by the color green.

Distilled Water

Water purified via distillation to remove almost all organic materials.

Deionized Water

Water purified by ion exchange to remove all ions.

Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water

Water purified by using pressure to force it through a semipermeable membrane.

Type I Water

Water used for minimum interference in procedures such as trace metal, iron, and enzyme analysis.

Type II Water

Water used for reagent preparation, quality control materials, standard solutions, hematology, microbiology, immunology, and glassware washing (non-specified).

Type III Water

Water used for qualitative tests, urinalysis, parasitology, histology, and general glassware washing.