Clinical Chemistry II

PURPOSE OF COURSE

This course is for fourth year (senior) students doing a degree in Medical Laboratory Science.  It should equip the students with the knowledge needed for analysis of the different biochemicals in the body and other chemicals introduced into the body.  The student should also be able to determine the health status of an individual – if there is a disease state or pathophysiology or not, by being able to interpret the results.

 EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, the students are expected to;

  1. Describe the biochemical transformations in the human body, the malfunction of which can cause disease.
  1. Explain why certain biochemicals suggest the presence or absence of disease.
  1. Describe certain chemicals that are introduced into the body and their role in the clinical chemistry lab.
  1. Discuss and know how major chemical analytical equipment is used in clinical chemistry lab.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This is the second part of the course that studies and analyzes different biochemicals of the human body, and compares their parameters to normal and abnormal cases. The course will teach the specialty areas of clinical chemistry: therapeutic drug monitoring, toxicology, and tumor markers, geriatric and pediatric clinical chemistry are covered.  Macronutrient, vitamin, and trace element nutritional assessments are done.  Bone disease will also be studied.

COURSE CONTENT

  1. Tumor Markers – basic concepts and clinical applications
  2. Endocrinology – Thyroid, the Gonads, Adrenal hormones and hypertension, pathological conditions, tests of hypothalamic and pituitary function.
  3. Bone Disease – bone disorders, change of analyte in disease
  4. Clinical Chemistry of Pregnancy
  5. Molecular Diagnostics
  6. Toxicology
  7. Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
  8. Human Nutrition – nutrient classes, nutrition in health and disease, therapeutic nutrition support, nutrition and inborn errors of metabolism, biochemical parameters used to monitor nutritional status
  9. Trace Elements – essential trace elements, toxic trace elements, considerations in assessing trace-element status in humans.
  10. Vitamins
  11. Pediatric and Geriatric clinical chemistry