Laboratory Facility Laboratory Facility

Is Is This This Your Your Lab?Lab?

Or is this Or is this

your lab?your lab?

Keep laboratory neat and organizedKeep laboratory neat and organized This says a great deal about the labThis says a great deal about the lab

Convey image that animal users are Convey image that animal users are interested in a quality programinterested in a quality program

Good Animal Care=Good ScienceGood Animal Care=Good Science

First ImpressionsFirst Impressions

LaboratoryLaboratory The veterinarian and vet The veterinarian and vet

technician are an efficient technician are an efficient team in a laboratory situation team in a laboratory situation

Veterinarians depend on Veterinarians depend on laboratory results to help laboratory results to help establish diagnosis track the establish diagnosis track the course of diseases and offer course of diseases and offer prognoses to clients.prognoses to clients.

A veterinarian is trained to A veterinarian is trained to interpret test results, whereas interpret test results, whereas a veterinarian technician is a veterinarian technician is trained to generate these trained to generate these resultsresults

Laboratory FacilitiesLaboratory Facilities

Adequate location.Adequate location. Adequate fundingAdequate funding Safety and security.Safety and security. Adequate space.Adequate space. Adequate lighting.Adequate lighting. Environmental control.Environmental control. Equipment and instruments.Equipment and instruments. Good housekeeping.Good housekeeping. Hazardous disposalHazardous disposal Appropriate storage.Appropriate storage.

LocationLocation

The veterinary clinical The veterinary clinical laboratory should be laboratory should be located in the area that is located in the area that is separate from other separate from other hospital operations.hospital operations.

The area must be well lit The area must be well lit and large enough to and large enough to accommodate laboratory accommodate laboratory equipment, as well as equipment, as well as provide a comfortable work provide a comfortable work area.area.

Countertop space must be sufficient so Countertop space must be sufficient so that the sensitive equipment such as that the sensitive equipment such as chemistry analyzers and cell counters can chemistry analyzers and cell counters can be physically separated from centrifuges be physically separated from centrifuges and water baths and water baths

Sink:Sink: A sink is needed for a source A sink is needed for a source

of running water to provide a of running water to provide a place to rinse, drain, or stain place to rinse, drain, or stain specimens. specimens.

A technician should have a A technician should have a working knowledge of the working knowledge of the local laws in regards to local laws in regards to disposing of chemicals and disposing of chemicals and waste. waste.

When in doubt do not put When in doubt do not put unknown chemicals down the unknown chemicals down the drain.drain.

Equipment Equipment

““The laboratory shall The laboratory shall possess or have access to possess or have access to all equipment necessary for all equipment necessary for the correct performance of the correct performance of all services. all services.

All equipment shall be All equipment shall be identified, properly identified, properly maintained and calibrated maintained and calibrated with maintenance and with maintenance and calibration procedures calibration procedures documented.”documented.”

Basic equipment Basic equipment

MicroscopeMicroscope It may use to evaluate blood, It may use to evaluate blood,

urine, semen, exudates, and urine, semen, exudates, and transudates; other fluids transudates; other fluids feces; and other feces; and other miscellaneous specimens.miscellaneous specimens.

It also may be use to detect It also may be use to detect internal and external internal and external parasites and initially parasites and initially characterize bacteria. characterize bacteria.

Ideally, the practice should Ideally, the practice should maintain two microscopes maintain two microscopes (parasites, hematology)(parasites, hematology)

CentrigugeCentriguge

The centrifuge is used to The centrifuge is used to separate substance of separate substance of different densities that are in different densities that are in a solution.a solution.

When a solid and liquid When a solid and liquid components are present in components are present in the sample, the liquid portion the sample, the liquid portion is referred to as the is referred to as the supernatant and the solid supernatant and the solid component is referred to as component is referred to as sediment sediment

RefractometerRefractometer

A refractometer, or total A refractometer, or total solids meter, is used to solids meter, is used to measure the refractive index measure the refractive index of a solution.of a solution.

The most common uses are The most common uses are determination of the specific determination of the specific gravity of urine and other gravity of urine and other fluids and the protein fluids and the protein concentration of plasma or concentration of plasma or other fluids other fluids

Chemistry AnalyzerChemistry Analyzer A variety of different A variety of different

chemistry analyzers are chemistry analyzers are available for use in the available for use in the veterinary medicine.veterinary medicine.

Most chemistry analyzers Most chemistry analyzers used utilize the principals of used utilize the principals of photometry to quantify photometry to quantify constituents found in blood. constituents found in blood. p.13p.13

Spectrophotometers are Spectrophotometers are design to measure the design to measure the amount of light transmitted amount of light transmitted through a solutionthrough a solution

Hematology AnalyzersHematology Analyzers

Facilitate generation of Facilitate generation of hematologic data for hematologic data for the complete blood the complete blood count (CBC).count (CBC).

Enumeration of cells Enumeration of cells Differential with blood Differential with blood

cell count cell count

IncubatorIncubator

A variety of A variety of microbiology tests microbiology tests require the use of an require the use of an incubator. incubator.

The incubator must be The incubator must be capable of sustaining a capable of sustaining a constant 37constant 37° C° C

Some incubators have Some incubators have built-in humidity built-in humidity controls controls

Storage:Storage:

Adequate storage must be Adequate storage must be available to store tubes, available to store tubes, stains, reagents etc to stains, reagents etc to keep the countertops free keep the countertops free of clutter. of clutter.

Some reagents must be Some reagents must be refrigerated or frozen so a refrigerated or frozen so a refrigerator/freezer should refrigerator/freezer should be made available be made available

Flammable liquid cabinets Flammable liquid cabinets for chemicals for chemicals

Electrical Supply:Electrical Supply:

Placement of electrical equipment requires Placement of electrical equipment requires careful consideration. Sufficient electrical careful consideration. Sufficient electrical outlets and circuit breakers must be made outlets and circuit breakers must be made available. Placement of outlets should available. Placement of outlets should also be taken into consideration. also be taken into consideration.

SpecimensSpecimens

““The laboratory shall The laboratory shall have procedures (SOP) have procedures (SOP) for the collection of for the collection of specimens to ensure specimens to ensure that they are both that they are both appropriate to the test appropriate to the test being undertaken and being undertaken and suitable for testing.”suitable for testing.”

Complex procedures to send to Complex procedures to send to other labs other labs

Proper instruments for collection.Proper instruments for collection. Sample selection.Sample selection. Packaging and ShippingPackaging and Shipping

Information To Accompany A CaseInformation To Accompany A Case

Owner address and contact Owner address and contact information.information.

Submitting veterinarian info.Submitting veterinarian info. Field diagnosis.Field diagnosis. Samples submitted.Samples submitted. Species and ID of animal.Species and ID of animal. Age/species/breed of animals affected.Age/species/breed of animals affected. Date of initial cases/death lossesDate of initial cases/death losses

Initial basic test offeringInitial basic test offering

Clinical pathology & Clinical pathology & parasitology.parasitology.

Bacteriology.Bacteriology. Serology (select Serology (select

agents).agents). Viral serology (select Viral serology (select

agents).agents). Histopathology Histopathology

Advance test offering Advance test offering

ToxicologyToxicology Virus isolationVirus isolation Molecular genetics testingMolecular genetics testing Comprehensive immunological testing.Comprehensive immunological testing.

Public Health SurveillancePublic Health Surveillance

Cooperation with allied health professions.Cooperation with allied health professions. Zoonotic disease surveillance.Zoonotic disease surveillance. Reporting zoonotic diseases that mayReporting zoonotic diseases that may

pose a public health risk.pose a public health risk.

Information TechnologyInformation Technology

Electronic accessioningElectronic accessioning Results capture (records)Results capture (records) ReportingReporting Case coordinationCase coordination Workload statisticsWorkload statistics Data warehousingData warehousing Web servicesWeb services

Services Services

Actual test turn-around.Actual test turn-around. Timely reporting.Timely reporting. Test result interpretation.Test result interpretation. New tests as needed.New tests as needed. Client surveys.Client surveys.

Laboratory SafetyLaboratory Safety

A safety program is essential for ensuring A safety program is essential for ensuring the safety of employees in a laboratory the safety of employees in a laboratory setting. The safety policy should include setting. The safety policy should include safety equipment and supplies including, safety equipment and supplies including, an eyewash station, fire extinguishers, spill an eyewash station, fire extinguishers, spill clean up kits, waste disposal containers clean up kits, waste disposal containers and protective gloves. and protective gloves.