Clinical Biochemistry

What is clinical biochemistry?

Clinical biochemistry is a specialty of pathology, which is the study of diseases. Clinical biochemistry attempts to diagnose and manage diseases through the analysis of blood, urine and other body fluids.

What is clinical biochemistry?

A clinical biochemist takes a sample of body fluid and will analyze it in a laboratory. The results will later be used to determine a diagnosis and treatment. The most common clinical biochemistry tests are:

  • Blood sugar levels (help indicate the presence of diabetes).
  • Electrolyte measurements (may indicate metabolic or renal disorders)
  • Blood enzyme levels (the presence of certain enzymes can indicate heart problems, liver disease and some types of cancers)
  • Hormone levels (this may indicate if any glands are functioning properly)
  • Blood lipid levels (may indicate cardiovascular disease)
  • Protein levels (may help indicate the presence of nutritional or metabolic disorders).

Clinical biochemistry tests can diagnose diseases such as diabetes or heart and liver problems.

Preparing for clinical chemistry tests

Some clinical biochemistry tests require fasting, for example, measuring your blood sugar levels will require you to fast for up to 8 hours beforehand.

What to expect during clinical chemistry tests

If you are having a urinalysis, you will need to urinate into a container to serve as a sample, which will be offered to you by a nurse or doctor.

For a blood test, blood is usually drawn from a vein in your arm, either from the inside of your elbow or your wrist. In children, blood is often drawn from the back of the hand. A tourniquet or elastic band is used around the upper arm to slow blood flow and allow the vein to swell. The skin is cleansed and a needle on a syringe is injected into the vein. The syringe draws the blood. Once the blood has been drawn, the needle is removed and pressure is applied to the area for a few minutes. A band-aid may be used to cover the wound.

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What does it mean to get an abnormal result?

If your test results indicate a possible abnormality, your physician will use the results to indicate what further tests or scans need to be performed or to provide you with a diagnosis and therefore a treatment plan. Abnormal results can also be followed up with more specialized clinical biochemistry tests. Some clinical biochemical tests will be repeated to ensure that there has been no error.