Vol. 19, No. 12

Nov. 18, 1999

Lab test help available on the web

If you have questions about lab tests, the Department of Medical Technology is at the ready to assist you via its web page at <http://www.udel.edu/ medtech/>, according to Don Lehman, who redesigned the department's site. "Click on 'lab tests' on the medical technology home page and submit your question, or e-mail your questions to <lab-tests@udel.edu.>, and a faculty member whose specialty is hematology, clinical chemistry, blood bank or microbiology will send you the answer," he explained. Hematology involves blood cell count (white and red blood cells and platelets) and clotting disorders. Clinical chemistry is involved with cholesterol, electrolytes, glucose levels, enzymes and heart and liver disease. Blood bank experts can answer questions related to giving and receiving transfusions. Microbiology involves cultures, such as urinary cultures and throat swabs, and diagnosing diseases, such as hepatitis B and Lyme disease, through blood samples. "When patients receive the results of lab tests, they sometimes are puzzled about interpreting them, and we are set up to answer general questions as a service to the community. Specific questions about individual results and treatment should be referred to an individual's physician," Lehman said.