Attachment Experience

hello guys (:

In case if you're wondering whoose the first to blog, its me! Natalie.
So, i shall get the ball start rolling.
This is the first week which i was posted to this hospital for attachment. Basically, our lab consists of severals sections namely, immunology, processing, microbiology, histology, bloodbank, biochemistry etc. For the first two weeks, i was posted to the Biochemistry Lab.

The biochemistry lab mainly handles patients' serum or urine samples for testing of analytes or electrolytes e.g. glucose, potassium, magnesium, albumin, ALP, ALT, CK, CKMB, Pro BNP etc.
However, not all testings are done by a machine alone. There are several machines used in the lab for different kind of testings.
For example,
Test for Renal and Liver Panel, Lipid Profile and individuals test like, albumin, ALP, ALT, Phosphate, Magnesium is used by the machine, Beckerman Coulter's; LX 1 & 2.
Test for CKMB Mass, Troponin T are used by the machine, Elecsys.
The other machine Cobas, is used to test for PSA etc.

So what actually happens before we load the plain tube contained the patient's serum into the specific machine, afterwhich we retrieve the result from the computer and print them?
Firstly, a blood sample is collected from the patient. The blood sample is then sent to the processing counter whereby labelling of the patient's identity as well as the type of test to be done is made.
Then it is being centrifuged at a certain speed for 5minutes, afterwhich, i'll collect them and seperate them according to which type of test that specific tube is meant for and load then into the specific machine. Its as simple as that!

However, in such cases whereby the serum is insufficient, we have to transfer them into smaller cups before loading them into the machine. It is becase the machine only can retrieve the serum to a certain level. Any amount lower than that level, it will be posted on the the screen as 'probe obstructed' etc. Addition to it, the machine will rings if any other problems occurred.

On the third and fourth day, i was asked to arrive there earlier to observe and learn how the supervisor and staffs there operate the machine. Every morning, it is a must to check whether there is sufficient reagents to carry out the various test. And we also have to check whether has the calibration of each and every reagent has expired. It is crucial because if ever so, there is insufficient reagent or expired ones, we are unable to use the machine and it will decrease the turnover rate and slow down everything. It could do harm especially to those who are under the awaiting(emergency) list. Furthermore, we ought to carry out controls whenever we have entered a new reagent into the machine, which take time to process too.

Lastly, i also have learnt that in this hospital, wards starting with the number 3,4,5 e.g. 23,44,35 are wards that are under the awaiting list. In another words, urgent cases whereby, we are supposed to send the results over within an hour. And one more thing, which is the most important thing to do before you process anything; you must always remember to check whether the patient's identity tallies with the tube that your're going to process with! It will be a disaster if wrong result is sent to the wrong patient. Not only you'll get blamed, the whole entire staffs involved will be pulled down too. So, remember to check properly before processing! (:

Urm, so i have kinda summarised everything that i've done for the past week in a nutshell (: By far, I am enjoying what i am doing and am glad to learn new stuffs everyday. The staffs there are friendly and approachable so, everything is fine for me (so far i guessed)! (:
Erm lastly, any questions you may post it in the text box? Hopefully, i'll have the answers. HA!
Hope to hear from you guys soon! Takecare!


Cheers!
Natalie Teo
0503275J
TG01