Laboratory Services
Laboratory
Laboratory Services are provided at Hartselle Medical Center to conduct tests on clinical specimens from patients. The laboratory gets important information from these tests to help the physician diagnose, treat and prevent diseases.
Most specimens tested are blood, urine and tissue, but you’d be surprised to know that tests could be performed on hair, fingernails and even sweat.
Lab Technicians, Technologists and Pathologists all work together to arrange for testing, including cross matching units of blood to arrange for blood transfusions, cultures, cardiac enzymes, drug monitoring, coagulation testing, blood counts, electrolytes, and chemistry assays.
Sometimes, your physician may request a test be performed that may require fasting. Certain tests are very sensitive to changes that occur after a meal, and can only be interpreted by comparing results in a fasting state. That fasting is determined by the type of test to be done. For instance, triglycerides or a lipid profile require 12 hours of fasting, but blood sugar can be tested after a six hour fast.
With a commitment to quality and accuracy, Hartselle Medical Center’s lab is surveyed by The Joint Commission (the lab is surveyed along with the rest of the hospital) and all inspections are done with an eye toward assuring that the lab offers the highest possible quality of patient testing.