Clinical Chemistry (RCC 105) - Routine Clinical Chemistry Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering clinical chemistry definitions, laboratory classifications, practitioner roles, safety protocols, and specimen processing.

Clinical Chemistry

A basic science that utilizes the specialty of chemistry to study human beings in various stages of health and disease.

Systeme International (SI)

A unit of measurement used because compounds react on a molecular basis; it consists of seven independent base units.

Meter ($m$)

The SI base unit for length.

Kilogram ($kg$)

The SI base unit for mass.

Second ($s$)

The SI base unit for time.

Mole ($Mol$)

The SI base unit for the quantity of a substance.

Ampere ($A$)

The SI base unit for electric current.

Kelvin ($K$)

The SI base unit for thermodynamic temperature.

Clinical Pathology

A medical specialty that deals with microscopic and gross examination of body fluids.

Anatomic Pathology

A medical specialty concerned with molecular examination of organs, tissues, and whole bodies.

Forensic Pathology

A specialized field in medicine which deals with determining the cause of death and other legally relevant information.

Primary Laboratory

A facility ($10\text{ sqm}$) performing routine hematology, urinalysis, fecalysis, and quantitative platelet counts.

Secondary Laboratory

A facility ($20\text{ sqm}$) performing primary laboratory examinations, routine chemistry, blood typing, and crossmatching.

Tertiary Laboratory

A facility performing secondary laboratory examinations, special chemistry, special hematology, immunology/serology, and microbiology.

Pathologist

A registered physician especially trained to head the laboratory and countercheck the work of medical technologists.

Medical Technologist

The frontline of laboratory diagnostics who processes specimens and releases results under the supervision of a pathologist.

Phlebotomist

A person trained to collect blood samples.

Cytotechnologist

A cell processor who examines human specimens to detect cancer cells or diseases.

Histotechnologist

A tissue processor who prepares, processes, and stains biopsies and tissue specimens after a 12-month training.

Class A Fire

Fires involving ordinary combustibles (cloths, paper, wood) requiring water, dry chemical, or loaded steam extinguishers.

Class B Fire

Fires involving flammable liquids (grease, gasoline, oil) requiring dry chemical, carbon dioxide, or halon foam extinguishers.

Class C Fire

Fires involving electrical equipment (motor switches) requiring dry chemical, carbon dioxide, or halon foam extinguishers.

Class D Fire

Fires involving flammable metals (mercury, magnesium, lithium) requiring Metal X extinguishers used by firefighters only.

Hazardous Waste

Substances that pose a significant threat to human health or the environment requiring special handling or disposal.

Pre-Analytical Phase

The phase encompassing test ordering and sample collection where $32-75\%$ of all testing errors occur.

EDTA

An anticoagulant that inhibits ALP and CK, decreases Calcium and Iron, and prevents platelet aggregation.

Oxalate

An additive that inhibits ACP, ALP, Amylase, and LDH, and distorts cell morphology.

Heparin

An anticoagulant that increases Triiodothyronine and Thyroxine results.

Fluorides

Additives that decrease ACP, ALP, Amylase, CK, ALT, and AST results.

Lumbar Puncture (LPS)

A procedure to collect CSF performed between the 3rd and 4th or 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae.

Thoracentesis

A surgical procedure used to drain pleural fluid from the pleural cavity.

Pericardiocentesis

A procedure used to collect pericardial fluid.

Paracentesis

A procedure used to collect peritoneal fluid.

Precentrifugation Phase

The stage where specimens should ideally be tested within $45\text{ mins} - 1\text{ hour}$ after collection.