Chemical Pathology

It's where I started to work and continue to do so. As Spock would say - Fascinating!

So what is it?

Well, you know that fine, fit body that you occupy? Well, how it works and does all those great things that you have come to expect of it, is all down to chemistry. What we sometimes call Clinical Biochemistry. I prefer the blog title term, as where I work is really about why your fine, fit body is playing up.

Before I tell you what I do, there are several other "ologies".

Haematology (note the spelling, my American cousins) - is all about blood. Where it's made, what makes it, how it's made, how it works (or doesn't), how it clots.

Microbiology/Virology - is all about bugs/viruses/parasites/fungi. How they infect you, how you can fight back.

Immunology - is about how your body defends itself against bugs, viruses and the rest. Or doesn't.

Histology/Cellular Pathology - what your cells are supposed to look like and what it means when they look different.

Forensic Pathology - why you are dead.

Molecular Biology - it's all in the genes, man.

So when you turn up at the doctor and he takes some samples for "the lab" he doesn't. Where I work there are half a dozen "labs" all looking at different things.

More often than not, the doctor will take samples for Chemical Pathology and Haematology. Samples for other departments are not quite so common although sometimes more useful.

So what are we (Chemical Pathology) looking for? And what do we need?

Body fluids! Almost any kind. Blood is our bread and butter but we can analyse: blood, urine, faeces, eye fluids, saliva, sweat, CSF - even vomit and stomach contents. If it's liquid (even lumpy liquid) and comes out of your body (from whichever hole), we can usually analyse it. Apart from semen. That is usually looked at by others. Usually. :(

But why do we want it?

We can check your kidneys, liver and heart are working properly. We can check whether you are deficient in essential vitamins and nutrients. We can check to see if you have various kinds of tumours. We can check that any treatment you are getting is actually working. We can check that the various drugs you are on are doing what they are supposed to be doing. We can check whether the drugs you deny taking are actually in your body now or were there recently. We can check to see if you are diabetic or nearly there. We can check that your Cholesterol is at the correct level. We can tell you why you are not getting pregnant, or if you are, or we can help you get there! We can check why you dropped down dead - we can even tell, sometimes, what killed you. We can tell what genetic disease you may have or pass on. If you have an infection we can tell if your body is fighting it or not. Those aches and pains that you have - we can sometimes point your doctor in the direction of what is causing them and what he/she can do about it. Those lumps and bumps you have - we can help tell your doctor what they are. Can't sleep? Having flushes? Itching? Rashes? We can help with them all. There is probably a test that we can carry out that will sort you out.

Allergies and intolerances can sometimes be helped by us.

Fallen over? We can help tell if it was drunk or heart attack.

Toilet issues? We can help (but we'd probably rather not. I mean, who wants to be looking at poo all day?)

We can do an awful lot for you in Pathology. We are here all day, every day. We can save your life. And I'll bet you've never even heard of us.