In the Alpine countries of Austria and Switzerland, as well as in Bavaria, laboratory medicine is an indispensable pillar of healthcare that meets the highest standards despite the geographical and logistical challenges in mountainous, often remote regions. Modern laboratory diagnostics provide fast, precise results and ensure medical care for locals and millions of tourists.

In Austria, the laboratory network in Styria, such as the LKH University Hospital Graz, has created a network that brings samples from remote valleys such as the Mur Valley to central laboratories by courier. Automated analyzers, such as the Roche Cobas 8000, process blood samples for parameters such as cholesterol, blood sugar or infection markers in under two hours. This enables the early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, for example, which are common in rural regions with an older population.

In Switzerland, the laboratory center of the Graubünden Cantonal Hospital in Chur relies on telemedicine and decentralized sample collection points. In ski resorts such as Davos, samples are taken on site and analyzed by drone or courier, for example to confirm acute infections such as influenza or Lyme disease, which is spread by ticks in alpine meadows. A pilot project is testing portable devices such as the Abbott i-STAT, which determine emergency parameters such as troponin in the event of a suspected heart attack directly on the mountain.

Bavaria, on the other hand, combines stationary and mobile laboratory units, for example through the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Clinic, which supports ski resorts such as the Zugspitze. Mobile laboratories analyze blood gases or lactate levels in mountain accidents in order to detect shock or altitude sickness. In addition, the Synlab laboratory network in Upper Bavaria monitors the spread of TBE (tick-borne encephalitis) by testing antibodies in samples from risk areas.

Laboratory medicine also contributes to prevention: In Tyrol, laboratories such as the Central Institute for Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics in Innsbruck regularly screen tumor markers such as PSA for prostate cancer or CEA for colon cancer, which improves early detection in an ageing population. Laboratories also analyze drinking water samples, for example in Vorarlberg, to rule out microbial contamination in mountain springs.

Challenges remain: The shortage of specialists is forcing laboratories to rely on expensive automation, and transporting samples over mountain passes is costly and time-consuming. Nevertheless, laboratory medicine is essential for managing acute emergencies, infectious diseases and chronic illnesses in the Alps – from the mountain pasture to the summit station.

Editorial office: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

Gender note. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple references and gendered designations are avoided for the sake of better readability ected.