The Clinical Laboratories at Cincinnati Children’s is dedicated to providing quick and convenient diagnostic services, which include testing in these areas:
- Phlebotomy / processing: Phlebotomy staff members use their pediatric expertise to draw blood and collect urine; the staff also performs specialized collections, which include stool, sweat chlorides and some tissues. Processing covers all aspects of specimen handling, preparation, storage and shipping, as well as special requests for studies and clinical trials.
- Chemistry: The qualitative and quantitative analysis of body fluids such as blood, urine and spinal fluid. Testing includes therapeutic drug monitoring, thyroid function testing, glucose monitoring and liver and kidney function panels. Test results are useful to clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
- Hematology: The study of blood and its main components (red cells, white blood cells, platelets). The most frequently ordered test is the complete blood count (CBC), which quantifies these cellular elements. CBC results aid in disease diagnosis and in monitoring a patient’s progress after a diagnosis.
- Coagulation: Tests the body’s ability to control and stop bleeding after injury. Tests such as Protime (PT) and Activated Partial Prothrombin Time (APTT) are used to diagnose bleeding disorders and monitor the treatment of various diseases.
- Microbiology: Tests patient samples for a number of bacteria, viruses, parasites and molds. Testing is performed on samples such as urine, throat swabs, stool and serum.