On successful completion of this module, the student will be able to:
1. Discuss commonly used laboratory tests, their indications and basic interpretation.
2. Outline laboratory safety, laboratory management, and quality control measures.
3. Demonstrate knowledge and performance of a range of practical laboratory skills relevant to clinical pathology

Lectures, Tutorials, and Practicals: Titles and Content -
1) Introduction to module and to ClinPath -lectures Module description. Objectives. Assessment details. Schedule. ClinPath texts and references. Definitions. Sub-disciplines of ClinPath. Description, components of, and example of a clinpath profile. Lab management. Pre-analytical vs analytical variation. Blood collection. Serum versus plasma
2) Working in the ClinPath Lab - lectures Practice vs Referral labs. Submissions to referral labs. Setting up a clinpath area in a vet practice. Health and Safety. PPE, MSDS, Waste disposal. Emergencies in the lab. First Aid. Safe behavior. Basic equipment in the lab area of the vet practice. Laboratory information management systems. Internal and external QC, GLP, SOP, validation
3) The RBC - lectures Definitions. The CBC. Determining and interpreting haematocrit with total protein. Determining and interpreting RBC indices. Making, drying, staining and examining blood smears. Abnormal erythrocyte shapes. Common findings in anaemias: immune-mediated, infectious anaemia, Heinz body
4) The RBC - tutorials Discussion and illustration of the standard operating procedures to be followed in the lab on RBCs
5) The RBC - practicals Demo then supervised performance by each student: measurement / interpretation of haematocrit with reader & centrifuge and total protein with refractometer making and staining blood smears, reticulocyte staining, systematic exam of blood smear using microscope; study of cases of anaemia
6) The WBC - lectures The 5 WBCs morphological description in health and disease. Total and differential WBC counts. WBC functions. Differences between species. How to count WBCs manually and by analyser. How analysers work. Appearance of leukemia, septicemia and WBC parasites on a blood smear
7) The WBC - tutorials Discussion / illustration of the standard operating procedures to be followed in the lab on WBCs.
8) The WBC - practicals Demo then supervised performance by each student: total count with haemocytometer, making and staining blood smear and doing a differential count measurement with microscope, systematic exam of blood smear using microscope; study of cases of anaemia, leukemia and inflammation
9) Clinical Biochemistry - lectures Functions and common Clin Biochem used for diseases of liver, kidney, gastrointestinal tract (malassimilation), pancreas (diabetes, pancreatitis, insufficiency), thyroid (feline hyperthyroidism and caninr hypothyroidism) and adrenal cortex (Cushings, Addisons). Cause of electrolyte, acid-base, and water imbalance.
10) Case Examples - lectures ClinPath profiles of marked liver disease, renal diseae, diabetes, pancreatitis, lymphoma, intestinal parasites, rodenticide poisoning including haematology, biochemistry, cytology and coagulation. Presentation and discussion of changes seen in various major and common diseases.
11) Cytology - lectures When, why and how to take and process fine needle aspirates and biopsies from lumps and bumps, body cavities, and internal masses and viscera. How to process samples and prepare slides from biopsies. The top microscopic findings in diseases lumps and bumps, lymph nodes, body cavities, joints. identifying malignancy.
12) Cytology - practicals based on the above
13) Urinalysis - lectures Why do it. How to collect, process and analyse. Gross exam, Specific gravity, Dip-stick analysis. Sediment exam for common crystals, tubular casts, blood, inflammation, and crystals. Examples of findings: renal failure, anti-freeze poisoning, urinary tract infection, urolithiasis, liver disease, cancer
14) Urinalysis - tutorials Discussion and illustration of the standard operating procedures to be followed in the lab on urinalysis
15) Urinalysis - practicals Demo then supervised performance by each student: gross description; measurement of SG with refractometer, dipstick analysis, preparation of sediment, and analysing a wet mount under the microscope. study of cases of abnormal crystals, infection, haematuria
16) Coagulation - lectures Haemostasis – blood vessel, platelet and clotting factor roles and description. Measurement of extrinsic and intrinsic clotting. Assessing fibrinolysis. History and symptoms of clotting disorders: hereditary von Willebrands, haemophilia, thrombocytopenia, rodenticide poisoning, DIC.
17) Automated haematology and clinical biochemistry analysis and profiling - Lectures on the technologies theory, use and applications
18) Automated haematology and clinical biochemistry analysis and profiling - Tutorials
19) Automated haematology and clinical biochemistry analysis and profiling - Practicals - the student will perform these analyses and generate profiles and provide a basic interpretation of them
20) Guest lectures from experts in laboratory analysis on some aspects of the above topics

Student cannot be awarded credit for this module if they have already achieved similar educational outcomes in higher, further or secondary education.

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback
• Self-assessment activities

midterm MCQ exam results given back immediately after exam completion General comments on performance and areas of strength and weakness given to class after MCQ exam Practical performance feedback is interactive and given live during the practicals, similarly for the tutorials Practice exams with answers, and criteria for evaluation of practical skills are given