MLT 285IN - Clinical Chemistry

4 Credits, 6 Contact Hours
3 lecture periods 3 lab periods
Fundamentals of chemistry including theoretical application and performance in a clinical setting. Includes chemical substances, instruments, laboratory procedures, blood and urine chemistry abnormalities, and laboratory instrument computers and information systems.

Prerequisite(s): With a grade of B or better: BIO 205IN , and MAT 151  or assessment into MAT 189 .
Information: Students must be admitted to the Medical Laboratory Technician program and obtain consent of instructor before enrolling in this course. IN is the integrated version of the course with the lecture and lab taught simultaneously.
    

2.  Describe the general principles of electrophoresis and its role in disease diagnosis.

3.  State the theory behind commonly performed laboratory procedures and correlate results with disease states and clinical significance for a variety of biochemical substances such as electrolytes, enzymes, tumor markers, and pharmaceuticals.

4.  State the basic statistical calculations to analyze quality control data, and to determine reliability of clinical chemistry assays in the chemistry laboratory (Westgard Rules).

5.  Differentiate between and describe the interface between laboratory instrument computers and the laboratory information system. 

6.  Explain how to perform dilutions, titers, conversions, and other mathematical calculations for chemistry.

7.  Operate and maintain standardized procedures for chemistry instrumentation.

8.  Perform common laboratory procedures and correlate results with disease states and clinical significance for a variety of biochemical substances such as electrolytes, enzymes, tumor markers, and      pharmaceuticals.

9.  Apply basic statistical calculations to analyze quality control data, and to determine reliability of clinical  chemistry assays in the chemistry laboratory (Westgard Rules); and perform standardized procedures for chemistry using basic instrumentation, including electrophoresis, enzymatic spectrophotometry, and other analytical methods.

10.  Perform dilutions, titers, conversions, and other mathematical calculations for chemistry.

11.  Improve critical thinking and organizational skills by attending class, completing assignments, and participating in problem solving discussions

1. Chemical Substances and Correlation to Abnormalities or Disease States 
2. Laboratory Instrumentation, Validation, Quality Control, Troubleshooting, and Reagents
3. Requirements for and Preparation of Laboratory Procedures Reports
   1. Principles of the procedure
   2. Function of each reagent used
   3. Clinical significance of the test
   4. Results
   5. Conclusions
4. Criteria for Evaluation of Results of Blood and Urine Samples and Correlation to Disease States
   1. Altered acid base balance
   2. Kidney disease
   3. Liver disease
   4. Heart disease
   5. Neurological system disorders
   6. Endocrine and reproductive system disorders
   7. Bone and muscle disease
   8. Neoplasms
   9. Nutritional status
   10. Fetal abnormalities
   11. Pediatrics and geriatrics
   12. Therapeutic drugs and drugs of abuse
5. Requirements for Instrument Computers and Laboratory Information Systems
6. Calculation of Lab Math Values
   1. Molar solutions
   2. Unit conversions
   3. Dilutions
   4. Serial dilutions
   5. Molarity and normality
   6. pH
7. Measurement of Chemical Substances and Ions
   1. Na
   2. K
   3. Cl
   4. Glucose
   5. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
   6. Creatinine
   7. Proteins and amino acids
   8. Uric acid
   9. Alkaline phosphatase
   10. Electrolytes
   11. Cardiac markers
   12. Blood gases
   13. Enzymes
   14. Bilirubin
   15. Hormones
   16. Minerals
   17. Lipids
8. Quality Control / Statistics
   1. Westgard Rules
   2. Accuracy
   3. Precision
   4. Mean
   5. Calibration Curve
   6. Standard Deviation
   7. Calibrators
   8. Standards
   9. Controls
   10. Reagent stability
9. Operation and Evaluation of Instrumentation
   1. Troubleshooting
   2. Instrument maintenance
   3. Method validation
   4. Analytical measurement range (AMR)
   5. Lot to lot variation
10. Use of Chemistry Instrumentation to Obtain Accurate Results
    1. Glassware
    2. Transfer pipettes
    3. Volumetric pipettes
    4. Spectrophotometry
    5. Chemiluminescence
    6. Spectrophotometers
    7. On board dilutors
    8. Electrophoresis equipment
    9. Pointe 180 (Westgard Rules)
    10. Centrifuge
    11. Balances
    12. Chromatography
11. Interpretation and Correlation of Blood and Urine Chemistry Abnormalities
    1. Metabolic acidosis/alkalosis
    2. Respiratory acidosis/alkalosis
    3. Creatinine clearance
    4. Calcium homeostasis
    5. Liver disease
    6. Heart disease
    7. Neurological system disorders
    8. Endocrine and reproductive system disorders
    9. Neoplasms
    10. Nutritional status
    11. Fetal abnormalities
    12. Pediatrics and geriatrics
    13. Therapeutic drugs and drugs of abuse