The book is geared primarily to the mid-career, general practitioner who has had only limited experience working with laboratory test results but who wants to develop skills in this area. Consequently, discussion of some tests appears in more than one chapter. To minimize redundancy, within each chapter the scope of such tests covers only pertinent aspects and interchapter referrals are given. In addition, comprehensive indexing allows the reader to easily locate discussion of the various clinical applications and interpretations of theses tests. It is important for readers to have a basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology, at least as they relate to the mechanism behind the change in test results.
All chapters begin with learning objectives and include a table of contents.
Chapters 1 through 3 cover fundamental definitions, concepts and technologies relating to laboratory testing, and should facilitate comprehension of subsequent chapters. Chapters 4 and 5 deal with drugs and are written from a test viewpoint. Chapters 6 through 16 cover common laboratory tests to assess functional status of and gain other information on various body systems. What's New All material from the 1st edition has been updated and expanded. Unlike the first edition, all chapters include several case studies and real-life practical examples of interpreting test results.