Clinical Chemistry: Laboratory Management and Clinical Correlations

Abstract

Edited by Kent Lewandrowski, 1000 pp, with illus, Philadelphia, Pa, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2002.Clinical Chemistry: Laboratory Management and Clinical Correlations covers the broad topics of laboratory management, instrumentation and methods, analysis, and clinical correlations. It is a compilation of works from 65 contributing authors in addition to the editor, Kent Lewandrowski. The invaluable information in this book is compacted into 1000 pages.In the preface, Dr Lewandrowski hits the nail on the head when he writes, “Most texts on clinical chemistry focus on some combination of the technical aspects of laboratory testing … laboratory management has been largely neglected except for a few specialized textbooks.”As the business of medicine changes, so does the business of the clinical laboratory. As a group of professionals governed and now constrained by the economics of health care, the first third of this text is appropriately assigned to chapters falling under the umbrella of laboratory management. Of particular importance are topics on transportation, logistics and processing, integrated automation in the clinical laboratory, and development of laboratory instrument platforms. In addition, chapters covering the role of the Food and Drug Administration, information systems, and integrated delivery networks are also included.The second third of this text reviews the traditional instrumentation and methods presented in most reference texts published prior to this work. Chapters on perspectives from both the diagnostic industry and clinical laboratory, immunoassay and immunodiagnostics as well as molecular diagnostics, and the contemporary aspects of instrumentation and methods are brought to the reader's attention.Section III includes analysis and clinical correlations in a traditional format. The information contained in this section is important to the practicing pathologist, the practicing clinical chemist, residents in training, and other medical professionals, including physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other physicians. This section of the text could clearly serve as required reading for our clinical colleagues.Overall, I found this book to be an excellent reference text with a contemporary twist. I have one suggestion for improvement, which would be to improve the figures and tables, and to introduce color in this component of this text. I am sure Dr Lewandrowski will be able to accomplish this upgrade in the second edition.