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Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an RNA (ribonucleic acid) virus that infects human immune cells, in particular CD4 T lymphocytes and is acquired through mucosal or intravenous exposure to infected [...]

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 30% of all antibiotics prescribed in the United States' acute care hospitals are either unnecessary or suboptimal. (1) Misuse or [...]

Inflammation is part of the body's innate defense mechanism that is triggered when tissues are injured (such as from trauma or heat) or infected by microbes or viruses. Inflammation is [...]

Women face diverse and unique health concerns that can affect their overall health and wellness. Additionally, women are more prone to certain infectious, autoimmune, and mental health diseases than men. [...]

Advancements in sequencing techniques and the emergence of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology have transformed laboratory medicine and clinical diagnosis. DNA sequencing results help healthcare professionals in disease diagnosis, prognosis, therapeutic [...]

Biopsy, generally referred to tissue biopsy, is a procedure where a tissue or a cell is taken from the body and tested for cancer. It uses a morphology-based technique to [...]

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are among the most common reasons why patients visit their physicians. These infections can range from mild, self-limiting, or life-threatening requiring hospitalization. Though the majority of [...]

In pharmacology, a drug is a chemical substance that produces a biological effect when administered to a living organism. Drugs are classified in various ways. One widely used classification system [...]

In the context of an infectious disease testing laboratory, cross contamination can be defined as an accidental introduction of an extraneous material into the specimen or laboratory instruments. A few [...]

Respiratory tract infections (RTI) or infections in the respiratory tract are divided into upper respiratory tract infections (URI/URTI) and lower respiratory tract infections (LRI/ LRU). Though some disagreement exists regarding [...]

Personalized medicine, often called precision medicine, is a BV medical practice in which patients are prescribed medications that are appropriate to them, based on their genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. [...]

Rajasri Chandra, MS, MBA, offers the following best practices to lab professionals: Patient preparation The patient needs to be informed in advance if the patient needs to be fasting or [...]

Nucleic acid testing or nucleic acid amplification testing, often abbreviated as NAT or NAAT, is a technique that involves amplification and detection of genetic material--the nucleic acids, DNA or RNA--for [...]

The article examines sepsis as a life-threatening condition marked by systemic inflammation and organ dysfunction due to a dysregulated immune response. Topics discussed include common causes of sepsis, critical treatment pillars such as antimicrobial therapy and fluid resuscitation, and emerging diagnostic advancements that incorporate omics technologies and artificial intelligence for improved prognosis and management.

Forty years ago, cervical cancer was the leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Since then it has shown a decline, and now it does not [...]

A clinical laboratory functions to assist the management of patients by providing information to aid in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, all based on the analysis of patient [...]