Here begins the series of “Day in the Life of a Medical Laboratory Scientist” posts.
(Warning: get comfy! Although I am leaving a lot out, this is a pretty long post!)
Introduction: For those of you unaware, the medical laboratory is divided into four main areas: chemistry, hematology (blood studies), microbiology (bacteria and parasite studies), and the blood bank. These areas are defined both by the scientific focus and methods used for testing. Chemistry tests are performed on blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and other body fluids. These tests all use chemical reactions in vitro (in a tube—these reactions do not normally occur within the body) to determine levels of various substances in the body. Hematology is the study of blood. Testing in this area is all about the cellular makeup of the blood, and the presence of blood in other fluids. Microbiology is a broad term meaning “the study of microorganisms,” which (in the lab) almost always means bacteria. It is not an area for the faint of heart or queasy of stomach! Finally, blood banking is a vital area in every hospital. It is the highly regulated preparation, storage, and testing of donor blood that is available to be transfused to patients in the hospital. This area is also not for the faint of heart! Blood banking can be stressful because every transfusion is a life-or-death situation.
