Pathology
Lab
Blood
Science
Handles
transfusions
and
full
blood
counts.
Before
transfusion,
cross
matching
is
carried
out
to
determine
the
suitability
between
donor
and
recipient-
the
ABO
and
Rh
blood
groups
are
the
most
significant.
There
are
strict
time
constraints
for
delivery
of
blood
and
plasma:
plasma
must
be
defrosted
and
delivered
within
8
hours,
and
blood
must
be
delivered
within
3
hours.
Records
of
blood
transfusions
are
kept
for
30
years.
Blood
is
followed
along
an
audit
trail
using
BARS-
the
Blood
Audit
and
Release
Software.
This
tracks
all
details
of
the
transfusion
with
a
single
barcode,
with
the
most
important
ones
being
patient
identity,
temperature,
compatibility,
time,
date,
and
action.
Microbiology
The
three
sections
of
the
microbiology
lab
deal
with
urine,
blood,
and
feces.
Serological
testing
and
virology
are
not
done
in
the
hospital;
these
samples
are
sent
to
Public
Health
England
in
Bristol.
Urine
samples
are
initially
processed
via
culturing
on
an
agar
plate
at
37
degrees.
Microscopy
and
antibiotic
testing
is
carried
out,
which
shapes
the
treatment
options
available
to
the
patient.
Blood
cultures
undergo
a
similar
process.
MRSA
testing
is
only
done
at
11am
and
3pm
due
to
the
specific
incubation
times
needed
to
confirm
an
MRSA
culture.
Clinical
details,
such
as
abdominal
pain
or
wound
quality,
are
extremely
helpful
in
directing
the
microbiologists
work,
but
are
often
not
recorded.
Histology
Comprised
of
histology
and
cytology.
Histology
handles
solid
tissues,
such
as
biopsies
and
resections,
whilst
cytology
examines
the
cellular
components
of
fluids,
such
as
gynaecological
smear
tests.
Solid
tissue
samples
go
through
a
careful
process
of
fixing
in
paraformaldehyde,
and
impregnation
into
paraffin
wax.
After
the
wax
hardens,
it
is
cut
into
a
block,
which
is
further
cut
into
slices
of
only
5
micrometres
in
thickness.
These
slices
are
stained
with
haematoxylin
and
eosin,
which
are
specific
to
cell
nuclei
and
connective
tissue
respectively.
Tissue
samples
usually
arrive
from
different
part
of
the
hospital,
but
can
also
be
sent
in
by
GPs.
Clinical
Chemistry
Due
to
technological
advances,
these
procedures
are
now
largely
automated;
often
there
will
be
no
clinical
chemists
in
the
lab.
Basic
tests,
such
as
urine
and
electrolytes,
may
be
run
in
combination
with
other
tests.
This
can
save
a
lot
of
time,
and
speed
a
patients
diagnosis
up
greatly.
A
big
problem
in
clinical
chemistry
is
incorrect
(or
absent)
patient
identification
on
the
test
tube.