Clinical Chemistry

Description of Department/Service

Clinical Chemistry is an ISO 15189 accredited department that provides a consultant lead 365 day 24 hour routine and emergency service to the Hospital, the community of General Practitioners supported by the Hospital and other linked healthcare institutions.

Biochemical measurements and interpretive advice assist in the diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and prevention of disease.

The Consultant Chemical Pathologist leads a team of highly skilled Medical Scientists, including medical and scientific trainees, that is committed to providing a quality service that embraces innovation, training and research.

The Laboratory User Manual, available on the website, provides the information required to make best use of the service.

Patient Information

Chemical Chemistry (also known as clinical biochemistry or chemical pathology) is the study of chemical and biochemical mechanisms of the body in relation to disease, mostly through the analysis of body fluids such as blood or urine.

In many diseases there are significant changes in the chemical composition of body fluids such as the raised blood enzymes due to their release from heart muscles after a heart attack; or a raised blood sugar in diabetes mellitus due to lack of insulin. Tests are designed to detect these changes qualitatively or quantitatively compared to results from healthy people.

Useful Links

Reference Documents:

Critical Values for Phoning

Blood Tubes for Biochemistry Guide

Drug Interference Table

Websites:

http://www.medicine.tcd.ie/clinicalbiochemistry Clinical Biochemistry, Trinity College including M.Sc. in Clinical Chemistry.

http://www.ifcc.org/ International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine

http://labtestsonline.org.uk/ Lab Tests Online-UK is written by practising laboratory doctors and scientists to help Patients understand the many clinical laboratory tests that are used in diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of disease