Chapter-specific changes are:

• Laboratory Safety —Updates and requirements from CDC and OSHA can be found in Chapter 1, along with the addition of information on new safety devices, standard precautions, hepatitis C, and how to locate current information on issues that lab personnel may encounter. OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standards have been added to the appendix, as well as an example of an exposure report form.

• Microscopy —Details of the compound microscope are again included in Chapter 2 with color photos of microscope parts and the proper use.

• Math Review —The addition of a section in Chapter 3 teaching the dimensional analysis process of converting from one unit to another will be helpful for English to metric or metric to metric conversions. Also, adding 60 extra problems with fractions, equations, percents, and making solutions will help those students needing further practice.

• Statistics —Chapter 4 remains important in the course because of quality control calculations. It simplifies statistical calculations that are used each day by lab techs. In accredited med tech programs, students are required to take a separate course in statistics.

• Quality Assurance and Quality Control —Chapter 5 has been revised to include current terminology that is being utilized today.

• Record Keeping in the POL —Chapter 6 has included information on HIPAA as it relates to the laboratory. In addition, it includes information about oral communication in the laboratory.

• Urinary System—Anatomy and Physiology —Chapter 7 has been reorganized to focus on the anatomy and physiology most critical to understand urinalysis testing and patient test results.\

• Urine Collection and Preservation and Physical, Chemical, and Microscopic Analysis of Urine Specimens —The entire Urinalysis unit (Chapters 8–10) has been reorganized for better correlation and understanding.

• Blood Collection: Routine Venipuncture and Advanced Venipuncture Techniques —This new unit (Chapters 11 and 12) provides detailed instruction on how to perform routine venipuncture, venipuncture utilizing a syringe, venipuncture utilizing a butterfly needle, as well as capillary specimen collection. The chapters include updated safety procedures.

• Hematology —Chapters 13–17 include manual and updated automated methods of counting, measuring, and analyzing whole blood, either capillary or venous blood, for all components of CBCs, platelet counts, sedimentation rates, reticulocyte counts, and other hematology techniques. Principles of blood formation, the body’s responses to disease processes, and comparing test results have been enhanced and expanded.

• Coagulation —Current information about coagulation studies and disorders has been included in Chapter 18. Also, point-of-care (POC) instruments using capillary blood to test prothrombin times to monitor patients on coumadin therapy have been included and the use of INR results has been added.

• Blood Glucose and Other Chemistry Tests —These chapters (Chapters 19 and 20) remain essential to the student as a core of laboratory testing and include updated diabetes terminology and guidelines and information about POC testing.

• Immunology Tests —This is an area of the laboratory where advances in sensitivity and specificity have made available on-the-spot testing for a variety of disorders or conditions from HCG to HIV. Many CLIA-waived kits are now available and allow the physician to evaluate and treat patients earlier. Numerous examples are given in Chapter 21 along with sample procedures.

• Microbiology —Chapter 22 has been expanded to include examples of automated bacterial identification systems used in larger clinic laboratories. More photos and diagrams of microbes, both normal and pathogenic, have been added, along with diagrams to show collection of specimens for culturing.