Laboratory ABC
Test procedure
Antibodies
Antibodies are fascinating helpers of our immune system - and indispensable tools in laboratory medicine. What are antibodies? Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins, are special proteins that our body produces to defend itself against intruders such as viruses,...
Antigen test
In recent years, almost everyone has heard of an antigen test - mainly because of the coronavirus pandemic. But what exactly is an antigen test, how does it work and why is it so useful in laboratory medicine? What is an antigen test? An antigen test looks for certain...
Chromosomes
Chromosomes are like the blueprints of our body - they carry the genetic information that determines how we grow, develop and function. Each person usually has 46 chromosomes, which are divided into 23 pairs. These are found in almost every cell and consist of DNA, a...
DGKL
The German Society for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, DGKL for short, is an organization that remains invisible to many people in everyday life - and yet it has a major influence on how well we receive medical care in Germany. It ensures that laboratory...
Diabetes
Diabetes, often simply referred to as "diabetes", is a chronic disease that affects millions of people in Germany. It occurs when the body is unable to regulate blood sugar properly - either because too little insulin is produced or because the cells no longer respond...
DVTA
DVTA, the umbrella organization for technologists and analysts in medicine in Germany, is an organization that plays a central role in the German healthcare system. Founded in 1969 - at that time still under the name "Deutscher Verband Technischer Assistentinnen und...
ELISA test
In medicine, there are many tests that help to detect diseases or check the state of health. One of the most important is the ELISA test. The name sounds complicated - it stands for "Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay" - but the principle behind it is not that...
Enzyme tests
Enzyme tests are a central component of modern laboratory medicine and play an important role in the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of diseases in Germany. What are enzymes and enzyme tests? Enzymes are tiny helpers in our body - protein molecules that accelerate...
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
The erythrocyte sedimentation rate, or ESR for short, is a classic test in laboratory medicine that has been used for over 100 years. It measures how quickly the red blood cells in a tube sink. It may sound unspectacular, but this simple value can tell doctors a lot...
Fentanyl
Fentanyl is a powerful painkiller that is used in medicine, but also plays a major role on the illegal market. It belongs to the opioids, a group of substances that act similarly to morphine, but fentanyl is much stronger - around 50 to 100 times more potent than...
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, or GC-MS for short, is one of the most powerful analytical methods in modern laboratory medicine. It combines two techniques - gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS) - and makes it possible to precisely separate and...
HPLC
High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a high-precision analytical method that plays an important role in modern laboratory medicine. Think of HPLC as a sophisticated filter that can separate different substances in a liquid. At the heart of HPLC is a...
Immunoassay
Imagine you go to the doctor because you've been feeling tired for weeks. You suspect that there may be something wrong with your thyroid gland. A blood sample is taken and a short time later the doctor knows whether your hormone levels are within the normal range....
Interlaboratory tests
In laboratory medicine, proficiency tests play a central role when it comes to ensuring the reliability and accuracy of laboratory results. What is an interlaboratory comparison? A proficiency test - sometimes also referred to as "external quality control" - is a...
IVDR
The IVDR - which stands for In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation - is an EU regulation that has been in place since May 2017 and sets out the rules for so-called in vitro diagnostics (IVDs). These are medical products that analyze samples such as blood, urine or tissue...
Jaffé method
The Jaffe method is a test used in laboratories to measure the concentration of creatinine in blood serum and urine. Creatinine is a waste product of muscle metabolism and an important indicator of kidney function. The method was discovered by Max Jaffé in 1886 and...
Mass spectrometry
Mass spectrometry, often abbreviated simply as "MS", is one of the most powerful techniques in modern laboratory medicine. It works like a super-precise detective that finds out which substances are contained in a sample - be it blood, urine or tissue. It is...
MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI for short, is one of the most advanced methods for taking a look inside the human body - without surgery or harmful radiation. What is an MRI? Imagine you could flip through the body like a book and look at every page - i.e. every...
Occult blood test
The occult blood test, also known as FOBT (Fecal Occult Blood Test), is a test that detects hidden blood in feces that is not visible to the naked eye. It is an important part of the early detection of bowel cancer, one of the most common forms of cancer in Germany....
PCR
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a revolutionary laboratory method that makes it possible to amplify the smallest amounts of genetic material millions of times over. This technology has fundamentally changed medical diagnostics and is now an indispensable part...
