med lab terms 1

autoclave

a device utilizing steam under pressure to sterilize medical instruments and laboratory specimens

caustic

burning or corrosive; usually destructive to living tissue

contamination

the pollution of an area or substance with unwanted extraneous material such as pathogens or hazardous chemicals

disinfection

any practical procedure for reducing the pathogen contamination in an intimate environment, as in air, on work counters, or equipment

hazardous chemical list

a list maintained by OSHA that identifies toxic chemicals used in laboratories; it may be consulted to determine the toxicity of a chemical

incident report

a report made by a health care worker when an event occurs, which is not consistent with the routine operation of the medical facility

infection control

in health care institutions, the constant effort to prevent the spread of infectious organisms; a separate department in larger facilities

material safety data sheet (MSDS)

information that comes from the chemical manufacturer and suppliers about the dangers of a chemical; all MSDS should be kept together in a book and the whereabouts known to all

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Labor. OSHA works against occupational sources of disease

PPE (personal protective equipment)

clothing and other equipment that shields workers from outside contaminates. PPE includes gloves, uniforms, fluid proofs, aprons, masks, and eye shields

specimen

small amount of body tissue (eg. urine, blood, tumor biopsy) for purposes of examination; the sample is assumed to represent the whole and to provide meaningful results for the entire individual

standard precautions

a set of CDC safety procedures designed to protect patients and healthcare workers from infectious agents

universal precautions

a set of recommendations formulated by the CDC to protect workers against HIV and other pathogens. the precautions impose isolation of all specimens of blood, blood products, and other body fluids capable of transmitting pathogens.

accreditation

a voluntary process in which a private, independent agency grants recognition to institutions that meet or exceed established standards of quality

epidemiology

the study of the factors that cause disease and determine frequency and distribution

immunohematology

he study of blood group antigens and antibodies; blood banking

mycology

the study of fungi

stat test

a test that must be performed immediately

deionized water

water that has had most of the mineral ions removed

distilled water

the condensate collected from steam after water has been boiled

controls

generally made from human blood, known substances that are ran with laboratory test to check equipment, reagents, and technique. There are usually high, normal, and low control levels

fasting state

a specimen collected from a patient who has not been eating or drinking for a prescribed time

time specimen

a specimen must be collected at a certain time. for example, if a patient is receiving a toxic drug, a test must be done to assure the correct dose was given

standards

solutions of a know value of a pure substance used in quality control testing

solute

substance being dissolved (usually a solid)

solvent

the liquid that is doing the dissolving, sometimes called a diluent

solution

homogeneous mixture of substances, remained dissolved, permanent mixture

suspension

heterogeneous mixture of substance in which solute settles out

supernatant

liquid that floats on the top, may float on top of another liquid or solid

precipitate

material that settles to the bottom, also called sediment