I. Introduction:
The Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine serves patients of all age groups. It includes two major services: anatomic and clinical pathology.
II. Anatomic Pathology:
The Division of Anatomic Pathology is responsible for all anatomical specimens and consists of Surgical Pathology, Cytopathology, Neuropathology and Autopsy services.
Services are provided Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 8 am to 1 pm. On call faculty member and resident are available at all times
III. Clinical Pathology:
The Division of Clinical Pathology consists of the following sections:
a- Bacteriology:Provides services for identification of bacteria and other microorganisms causing human infections related to different body sites and organs. It also performs a variety of drug susceptibility testing to help in antimicrobial treatment This section also covers services related to mycobacterial (mycobacteriology) and fungal (Mycology) infections. Services are offered 24 hours, 7 days a week. (Section extension: 5211)
b- Blood Bank: Provides a broad range of blood product compatibility testing and transfusion services, blood component therapy. It offers a blood donor service which allows the performance of autologous/homologous blood collection, therapeutic phlebotomy and platelet and plasma pheresis. This service handles fully stem cell processing, storage and transfusion. Services are provided 24 hours daily, all week.( Section extension: 5228)
c- Clinical Chemistry: Offers a wide a variety of laboratory tests, which includes general chemistry profiling, enzyme determination, lipid profile, cardiac risk markers, liver function tests, kidney profile, endocrinology tests, tumor markers, individual protein quantitation and eletrophoresis, trace metals, therapeutic drug monitoring, biogenic amine, neonatal screening, prenatal diagnosis, amino acids, and biochemical genetic. The section operates 24 hours, 7 days a week. (Section extension: 5219)
d- Clinical Microbiology
e- Cytogenetics: Performs karyotype analysis on a variety of tissues, including prenatal and postnatal samples, for both constitutional and acquired chromosome abnormalities. Services are offered Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm. (Section extension: 5245)
f- Hematology:Services include automated and manual blood counts, coagulation studies, flow cytometry, HLA compatibility , identification of thalassemia and sickle cell carriers, red blood cell disorders, as well as CSF and other body fluid analyses. This section operates 24 hours daily, all week (Section extension: 5214)
g- Microscopy-Parasitology:Provides services pertaining to investigating parasitic infections, detection of blood and reducing substance in stool. Another major test is urinalysis which incorporates chemical analysis and microscopy. Semen analysis is also handled in this unit. Services are provided 24 hours daily, all week. ( Section extension: 5213)
h- Serology:Offers a wide variety of tests that help in the diagnosis of infections and non-infections diseases by detecting antigen and antibody reaction. These are detected using agglutination, flocculation, precipitation, fluorescence and enzyme linked immunoserbent assays. Services are offered Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm and Saturdays from 8 am to 1 pm. ( Section extension: 5227)
f- Molecular medicine (Dr. Mahfouz)
IV. Reference Laboratories
The Chairman, in consultation with the medical directors of the department and other physician clients, is responsible for selecting referral laboratories.
Our Laboratory has established links with recognized laboratories abroad such as CERBA laboratory, France, Bioscienta, Germany, and Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, USA. Under special conditions, the laboratory is prepared to handle specialized requests and assist in their shipment to other specialized laboratories.
V. Phlebotomy Services
Two types of services are available:
a- Outpatient Phlebotomy: All outpatient phlebotomy services are provided on a walk-in-first-come, first-served basis. Relevant specimen collection instructions are provided to patients. Outpatient service is open Monday through Friday from 8 am to pm and Saturday from 8 am to 1 pm
b- Inpatient Phlebotomy: Phlebotomists collect blood samples following physicians� requests according to the following schedule:
at any other time, requests are collected by house staff in charge of the patients and should be delivered promptly to the Receiving Area.
VI. Stat Testing:
�STAT� (short turn-around time) tests are requested only in situations where the patient�s clinical condition requires rapid response from the laboratory. Abuse of the � Stat� designation may delay testing in truly urgent clinical situations. The following test are available as � STAT� tests 24 hours, 7 days a week.
a- Bacteriology:
Cultures for Blood, Stool, Catheter Tips, and Smears and Culture for CSF, Respiratory, Body Fluids, Swabs, Urine and any other specimen obtained at surgical operation.
b- Blood Bank:
Grouping, Crossmatching, & Irradiation for Blood and Blood Components Transfusion, Donor Phlebotomy, Coombs Test, and Platelet Pheresis.
c- Chemistry:
Blood: Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Carbon Dioxide, Glucose, BUN, Creatinine, Uric Acid, Bilirubin (T/D), T. Protein and A/G, Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphorous, Alkaline Phosphatase. Amylase, Lipase, SGOT, SGPT, LDH, GGT, CPK, CK-MB, Cholesterol, HDL-C Triglycerides, Fibrinogen, Osmolality, Acetaminophen, Ethanol, Salicylate, Cholinesterase, Ketones, Ammonia, Lactate, CRP, Cardiac Troponin T, Carbamazepine, Digoxin, Lithium,
Phenobarbital, Phenytoin, Theophylline.
Urine: Drugs of Abuse Screen, Amylase, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, calcium, Phosphorous, Creatinine, Protein, Osmolality, Myoglobin.
Amniotic Fluid: Liley�s Curve (OD650) ,(OD450), Fetal Lung Maternity
d- Hematology:
CBC, Platelet Count, Cell Count and Cytology of CSF and other Body Fluids, Bleeding Time, Reticulocytes Count, Sickle Cell Preparation, Blood Film Inspection, Malaria Smear, ESR, PT, PTT.
e- Microscopy:
Urine Routine and Microscopy and Stool for Occult Blood.
f- Serology:
Pregnancy Test.
VII. Turnaround Time:
A turnaround time of 45-60 minutes should be generally expected from the time a sample is received in the specific laboratory sections for non-culture requests. STAT may vary according to the procedure requested; this depends on the number of STAT procedures already in process, available personnel and operating status of the equipment.