Laboratorietest

Laboratorietest, or laboratory test, is an analysis performed on a sample in a laboratory to obtain information for diagnosis, treatment, or research. In medicine, tests help diagnose disease, monitor therapy, detect risk factors, and screen populations. Outside health care, they assess chemical composition, environmental samples, or product safety.

Types include clinical laboratory tests on blood, urine, or other specimens; microbiology cultures; serology and immunology; genetic or molecular assays; and toxicology screens. Analytical laboratories use techniques such as spectroscopy, chromatography, mass spectrometry, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Environmental and food laboratories test for contaminants, nutrients, or residues.

Process: specimen collection and handling are critical. After labeling, the sample is transported, processed, and analyzed with validated methods. Results are reported with reference ranges or qualitative notes and are interpreted by clinicians or researchers.

Quality and standards: laboratories implement quality management systems, calibration, controls, and proficiency testing. Medical laboratories commonly follow ISO 15189; other testing laboratories may use ISO/IEC 17025. Accreditation and regulatory oversight ensure reliability and safety.

Limitations: results depend on pre-analytical factors, method performance, and biological variation. Tests have sensitivity and specificity limits; false positives or negatives can occur, and some results require confirmation or context.

Ethics and privacy: handling of samples and results respects privacy, with informed consent for certain tests, especially genetic testing, and secure data management.