Laboratory Data Interpretation Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on laboratory data interpretation.

Sensitivity

The percentage of true positives among those with the disease; high sensitivity means few false negatives.

Specificity

The percentage of true negatives among those without the disease; high specificity means few false positives.

Confidence Intervals

A statistical range (usually 95%) that indicates where the true value likely lies, accounting for test imprecision.

HbA1c

A test useful in monitoring diabetes.

Atherosclerosis

A macrovascular complication of diabetes.

Retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy

Microvascular complications of diabetes.

BUN, creatinine, microalbumin

Tests useful in monitoring renal disease.

Electrolytes, arterial blood gasses

Tests useful in monitoring lung disease.

AST, ALT, LDH, alkaline phosphatase

Liver enzymes useful in monitoring liver disease.

Gram stain

A staining technique that classifies bacteria as gram-positive or gram-negative based on their cell wall structure.

Packed red blood cells

A blood component useful in treating blood loss.

Plasma or cryoprecipitate

A blood component useful in treating clotting disorders.

Well-differentiated tumors

Tumors that resemble normal cells.

Poorly-differentiated tumors

Tumors that do not resemble normal cells.

Dysplasia

Disordered growth with loss of uniformity and architecture; graded mild, moderate, severe, and carcinoma-in-situ.

Fibroma, lipoma, adenoma, chondroma, leiomyoma

Examples of benign tumors.

Carcinomas

Malignant tumors derived from epithelial cells.

Sarcomas

Malignant tumors derived from mesenchymal cells.

Leukemias and lymphomas

Malignant tumors derived from hematopoietic cells

Immunohistochemistry

Detects specific antigens in tumor cells using antibodies to help classify tumor origin and guide treatment.

Transformed cells

Neoplastic cells with traits like loss of contact inhibition, immortality, anchorage independence, and tumor-forming ability.

Oncogenes

Mutated proto-oncogenes that cause uncontrolled proliferation.

Tumor suppressor genes

Genes (like p53) that, when mutated, lead to uncontrolled proliferation.

Hypertrophy

The reason why cardiac myocytes undergo changes in cardiomyopathy, it compensates for increased workload and impaired cardiac output, resulting in structural remodeling.

Noninflammatory Edema

Caused by increased hydrostatic or decreased oncotic pressure.

Inflammatory Edema

Caused by increased vascular permeability.

Digoxin

Improves cardiac output by increasing intracellular calcium in myocytes, enhancing contractility.

Orthopnea

Difficulty breathing while lying flat, due to fluid redistribution in CHF.

Dyspnea

Shortness of breath, especially during exertion or due to fluid-filled alveoli.

Mutation

A change in the DNA sequence that can alter the function or expression of a gene.

Aneuploidy

An abnormal number of chromosomes, usually due to errors in cell division; example: trisomy or monosomy.

Dominant Trait

A trait expressed when at least one dominant allele is present.

Recessive Trait

A trait expressed only when two recessive alleles are present.

Polygenic Disorders

Disorders influenced by multiple genes, such as diabetes, height, and skin color.

Karyotyping

A test to examine chromosomes for numerical or structural abnormalities.

Amniocentesis

A prenatal test using amniotic fluid, typically performed at 14-16 weeks, to detect fetal abnormalities.

Chorionic Villus Sampling

A prenatal test done at 8-10 weeks using placental tissue to detect genetic disorders.

Coenzyme

A molecule that binds to an enzyme and is necessary for its activity, often derived from vitamins.

Thiamine (B1) Deficiency

Associated with dry and wet beriberi, Wernicke encephalopathy.

Niacin (Vitamin B3) Deficiency

Associated with Pellagra.

Folate (B9) and Vitamin B-12 (Cyanocobalamin) Deficiencies

Associated with megaloblastic anemia.

Vitamin C Deficiency

Associated with scurvy.

Vitamin A Deficiency

Associated with night blindness, keratinization, increased infection risk, and possible blindness.

Vitamin D Deficiency

Associated with rickets.

Vitamin E

Plays an important role in maintaining the integrity of cell membranes.

Vitamin K Deficiency

Associated with abnormal blood clotting.