Intro Flashcards
(28 cards)
Goal of labs
narrow down the differential diagnosis, monitor disease, evaluate treatment response
Screening test
the patient does NOT have signs or symptoms
good test: high sensitivity
-Few false negatives
sensitivity
probability patient with a disease will have a positive test
(N in sensitivity does NOT go with negative)
Diagnostic test
patient has signs or symptoms
good test: high specificity
-few false positives
Specificity
probability a healthy patient will have a negative test
what is blood broken up into and place in order lease dense to most dense
plasma -> WBC & platelets (buffy coat) -> RBC
serum (unclotted- plasma) -> clotted blood (RBC, WBC, Platelets)
what is plasma made of
unclotted blood, without cellular elements
when can Serum ONLY be collected
in a tube without anticoagulant
what is an analyte
substance measured by an assay
can be protein-bound or free (active from)
What are 3 types of tests
qualitative, quantitative, or semi-quantitative (reported as negative or varying degree of positivity, 1+, 2+, ect…)
(there is NOT a semi-qualitative test)
what is accuracy vs precision
accuracy: value is close to the true value (center of the target)
precision: repeated trials all give the same value (multiple values at same are of target)
Deci
10-1 (d)
Centi
10-2 (c)
Mili
10-3 (m)
Micro
10-6 (u)
Nano
10-9 (n)
Pico
10-12 (p)
Femto
10-15 (f)
what is the purpose of titers
to detect the presence and amount of a substance in a serum
value expressed as highest dilution where a positive test result present
(use and ELISA test for antibody titers)
are all healthy people’s lab values within the reference range
No, 5% of healthy people will still be outside of normal range (outside of -/+ 2 SD)
how should panic values be delivered
by phone call immedialty
what rate of change in results raises alert/ require urgent response
if there is a rapid change in results
what is point of care testing
where sample is taken and test is run and evaluated in the same room (ex: finger pricked then tested in the office)
centralized laboratory tests
these tests require more complex equipment; samples taken then sent off to another room or lab for testing
requires regulation: CLIA