Department of Clinical Laboratory Science
Presentation to ECU Program Prioritization Committee
Laboratory Tests
Essential in diagnosis and treatment of disease
Provide information that cannot be obtained from other sources (vital
signs, symptoms, patient history, physical exam)
Examples –
Diabetes- diagnosis requires demonstration of elevated glucose or Hgb
A1c blood levels
Heart Disease- risk of heart disease assessed using blood cholesterol
(Total, HDL, LDL cholesterol) and triglyceride levels
Cancer- blood levels of tumor markers (CEA, PSA), presence of
abnormal white blood cells on peripheral blood smear
Infection- Bacterial, Viral, Fungal, Parasitic
The Clinical Laboratory Professional
A. Performs these laboratory tests
B. Determines whether the results can be reported to the physician
Four major departments of clinical laboratory
 Chemistry
 Hematology
 Microbiology
 Blood Bank (Immunohematology)
The departments of the lab perform a diverse menu of tests.
Each department has its own menu and own analytical techniques
Students must learn four distinct bodies of knowledge to be competent
practitioners
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Lab
Department
Samples
Analyzed
Clinical
Chemistry
Blood Collection
Tubes Used
(Anticoagulant )
Analytical
Techniques/
instruments
Potential
Problems
Plasma,
Green top (Heparin)
Urine,
Red top
Spinal Fluid,
other body
fluids
Spectrophotometry
Immunoassay
Chromatography
Electrophoresis
Automated analyzers used
Hemolyzed
samples
Blood collected
above IV line
Wrong blood
collection tube
Hematology
Whole
blood,
plasma,
spinal fluid,
urine
Purple top
(Potassium EDTA)
Blue top
(Sodium citrate)
Pink top
(Potassium EDTA)
Electrical impedance –
cell counter
Spectrophotometry
Flow cytometry
Special cell stains
Microscopy
Urine reagent test strips
Automated analyzers used
for most tests
Clotted samples
Improperly filled
blood collection
tube
Administration of
heparin just before
sample collection
for coagulation
test
Microbiology
Whole
blood,
plasma,
urine, spinal
fluid, wound
exudates,
stool,
respiratory
secretions
Blood culture broth
medium
Bacterial, fungal and viral
culture
Gram Stain and other
stains
Microscopy
Spectrophotometry
Antibiotic/Antifungal
susceptibility testing
Immunology tests for
Antigen and antibody
Molecular testing
Automated analyzers used
for some tests
Improperly
collected samples
Contaminated
samples
Delay in sample
transport to lab
Blood Bank
Whole
blood,
plasma, cord
blood
Pink cap tube
(Potassium EDTA)
Purple cap tube
(Potassium EDTA)
Agglutination tests
Automated analyzers used
for some tests
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Each body of knowledge includes:
 Analytical techniques used in the department
 Theory of tests performed in the department and their association
with disease diagnosis and treatment
 Proper sample collection techniques
 Quality control mechanisms used to detect errors in the analytical
process
 Potential problems and interferences that can cause erroneous test
results
 How to evaluate test results and identify errors
The CLS faculty and the clinical affiliates work together to help the student
learn the bodies of knowledge and develop proficiency in the tasks required
of competent professionals.
Not every lab result produced by the lab is reported
Result can be inaccurate because:
 Problem with test system
 Problem with the patient sample
Image source: http://www.bd.com/vacutainer/urine
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CLS Program – First Year
First year is spent on campus, M-F
Three hours of lecture in morning
Three hours of lab in afternoon
Courses taken in Fall, Spring and Summer semesters
Instruction in laboratory techniques is carried out using state of the art
instrumentation and real patient samples in two modern student
laboratories.
CLS Student Laboratories
Instructional techniques used include:
 Lecture
 Analysis of patient case studies
 Case study presentations
 Computer-based tutorial programs using CLS Student lab and ECU’s
Virtual Computing Lab
 Performance and evaluation of laboratory tests for each lab
department
Students learn how to perform the analytical techniques used in the clinical
laboratory using the same equipment and reagents as the real lab.
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CLS Program- Second Year
Students spend Tuesday-Friday in clinical rotations in one or more of the
laboratories of the department’s clinical affiliates:
 Pitt County Memorial Hospital
 Carolina East Medical Center
 Nash Health Care System
 Cape Fear Valley Medical Center
 Wilson Medical Center
 Lenoir Memorial Hospital (Blood Bank only)
 Wayne Memorial Hospital
 Federal Medical Center in Butner, NC (Hematology only)
Students apply the knowledge and laboratory techniques they have
learned in a real world setting.
Students also take on-campus courses on Mondays in Professional
Practice Issues and Molecular Diagnostics
Clinical Chemistry Laboratory
 Measures/detects analytes in fluid portion of blood – plasma
 Tests performed on automated analyzers
 Test and disease associations – see Clinical Laboratory Tests and
Disease handout
Hematology Laboratory
 Testing focuses on the cellular elements of the blood, coagulation
proteins in the plasma, and analysis of urine.
 Tests:
1. Blood cell counts (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets)
counting Assessment of blood cell morphology- peripheral blood
smear, white cell differential
2. Measuring blood levels of coagulation proteins
3. Performing tests on urine samples
 Test and disease associations – see Clinical Laboratory Tests and
Disease handout
The Microbiology Laboratory
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Clinical laboratory scientists perform tests to:
 Identify infectious organisms such as bacteria, fungi, parasites and
viruses in patient samples
 Perform drug susceptibility tests
 Perform sterility surveys on hospital areas and equipment
The analytical procedures used in Microbiology include traditional
culture and new molecular techniques.
Blood Bank
Provides units of blood components for transfusion:
 Red blood cells
 White blood cells
 Platelets
 Fresh frozen plasma
 Coagulation factor concentrates
Tests:
 Blood type
 Cross match
 Transfusion reaction investigation
 The departments of the lab perform a diverse menu of tests.
 Each lab has its own menu and own analytical techniques
 Students must learn four distinct bodies of knowledge to be competent
practitioners
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