Module 1: Basic Laboratory Principles

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Goals of a Clinical Laboratory 

Facilitate the correct performance of analytic procedures that yield accurate and precise information. 

Aiding patient diagnosis and treatment. Requirements for reliable results  Correct use of basic supplies and equipment  Possess an understanding of fundamental concepts critical to an analytic procedure. CHEMICAL REAGENTS  Analytic reagent (AR) – meets or exceeds the established specifications of American Chemical Society (ACS).  Ultrapure – put through additional purification steps for use in specific purposes (chromatography, atomic absorption, immunoassays, etc.)  United States Pharmacopeia (USP) & National Formulary (NF) – used to manufacture drugs.  Chemically pure (CP) – impurity limitations are not stated and that preparation of these chemicals are not uniform; not recommended for use by clinical labs.  Technical/commercial grade – used for manufacturing and never used in clinical labs. REFERENCE MATERIALS  Primary standard – highly purified chemical that can be measured directly to produce a substance of exact known concentration and purity.  Secondary standard – lower purity with concentration determined by comparison with primary standard