Pocket Handbook of Medical Laboratory Science

Students of medical laboratory science meet the same questions again and again at the bench: which tube, what dilution, what is the usual range, what does this result mean. This handbook gathers short answers to those questions in one place, so that a student can find them quickly during practical work, in the ward laboratory or before a viva.
The book is organised by subject and follows the Competency Based Curriculum for Medical Laboratory Sciences (NCAHP, 2025). It covers five core areas: Biochemistry, Microbiology, Haematology, Clinical Pathology and Blood Bank. Each topic stands alone, ends with its source, and where possible includes a worked example, a key point and a bench procedure. Revision questions with answers, viva questions and two case-based questions are given for the Haematology, Clinical Pathology and Blood Bank chapters.
The handbook is a revision aid. It does not replace the prescribed textbooks, the standard operating procedures of your laboratory, or the advice of your teachers. Reference values differ between methods and populations, and every laboratory must use its own validated intervals when reporting patient results.
Corrections and suggestions from students and colleagues are welcome and will be used in later editions.