Laboratoriediagnostik

Laboratoriediagnostik refers to the medical discipline responsible for the analysis of biological samples to obtain information about a patient’s health status, disease presence, progression, or response to therapy. It encompasses a wide range of laboratory tests conducted on blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, tissue, and other specimens. The results support diagnosis, prognosis, treatment planning, and disease monitoring, complementing clinical examination and imaging.

Core areas include clinical chemistry (analyte measurements such as glucose, electrolytes), hematology (blood cell counts and indices), microbiology (infection detection and identification), immunology and serology (antibody and antigen testing), molecular diagnostics (PCR, sequencing for genetic and infectious disease detection), and pathology/genetics (tissue analysis and genetic testing). Point-of-care tests provide rapid results at or near the patient.

Laboratoriediagnostic workflow comprises three phases: pre-analytical (specimen collection, transport, labeling), analytical (measurement with instruments and assays), and post-analytical (result interpretation, reporting, and archival). Quality management, including internal quality control, external proficiency testing, and accreditation to standards such as ISO 15189, ensures accuracy and reliability.

Laboratories are integrated with clinical teams, providing data that informs diagnosis, treatment selection, drug monitoring, and outcome assessment. Results must be interpreted in context of patient history, pre-test probability, and potential interference factors such as comorbidity or medications.

Safety and ethics are central: proper biosafety practices, patient privacy, and data integrity are maintained. Laboratories adopt information systems for secure data handling, and there is ongoing effort to minimize test turnaround times and costs while maintaining quality.

Current trends include automation, high-throughput platforms, multiplex assays, molecular and genomic testing, and point-of-care technologies. The field continues to evolve with precision medicine, enabling targeted therapies based on biomarker profiles.