Medical Laboratories

What happens in a medical lab?

Tests done on clinical specimens in order to obtain information about the health of a patient

• Useful for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases
• Specimens include
  • Blood
  • Urine
  • Tissue
  • Sputum
  • Wound cultures

Tests For...

• Microbiology: What is causing the infection?
• Hematology: What is wrong with the blood?
• Chemistry: Are the body's amount of chemicals abnormal?
• Urinalysis: Is there anything unusual present?

Sputum sample from patient with pneumonia

Blood sample from patient with leukemia

Careers in a medical lab

• Phlebotomist
  • Draws blood from a patient for medical testing
• Medical Laboratory Scientist
  • Performs the tests necessary to analyze patient specimens
• Pathologist
  • Doctor who studies the completed tests in order to make a decision about diagnosis