Page 7 - Clinical Biochemistry 08PB804
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• Examples of some of these poor lab practices found were:
- Incorrect/inaccurate accounts of the actual lab study.
- Inadequate test systems.
- Equipment not been calibrated to standard form, therefore giving wrong measurements.
Body fluids and sampling:
Clinical lab investigation involves measuring the amount of certain chemicals in body fluids in
comparison to specific reference ranges.
Many different specimens can be used for biochemical testing including
• whole blood
• serum, plasma
• Urine
• Faeces.
• Synovial fluid
• Cerebrospinal fluid
Biological samples:
The clinical information obtained from a urine specimen is influenced by the collection
method, timing and handling.
Types of Collection
Random Specimen
This is the specimen most commonly sent to the laboratory for analysis, primarily because it is
the easiest to obtain and is readily available. They can sometimes give an inaccurate view of
a patient's health if the specimen is too diluted and analyte values are artificially lowered.
First Morning Specimen
This is the specimen of choice for urinalysis, since the urine is generally more concentrated
and, therefore, contains relatively higher levels of cellular elements and analytes such as
protein, if present.