AIMS AND CONTENT

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim of the clinical biochemistry module of the course is to allow the student to acquire basic knowledge on the clinical-diagnostic significance of the laboratory tests that explore the function of specific organs/apparatuses. This knowledge will be applied to the discussion of simple case-studies, allowing the students to put into practice the basic knowledge acquired and test their understanding of laboratory tests. Students will realize the extent and severity of deviation from the normal range of the laboratory test discussed in the module during pathological conditions. Students will be able to identify the most appropriate laboratory tests to address specific diagnostic hypotheses and evaluate the results in terms of confirming or disproving these hypotheses. 

TEACHING METHODS

Theoretical lectures (20 hours of instructional activities) will cover the topics outlined in the course syllabus, with an interactive approach and ample opportunities for in-class practical exercises.
In the event of an emergency, activities may be conducted online in accordance with University guidelines.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

HEMATOLOGICAL DIAGNOSTICS

Blood count test

Iron metabolism

Anemias (morphological and pathogenetic classification)

Hemoglobinopathies

Thalassemia

Hemostasis

Laboratory indicators of haemorrhagic and thrombotic risk

DIABETES MELLITUS DIAGNOSTICS

Hormones that regulate blood sugar

Causes of hyper- and hypo-glycemia

Diagnostic criteria diabetes mellitus and gestational diabetes

laboratory exams in diabetic ketoacidosis; glucose tolerance test; glycosylated hemoglobin; chetonic bodies

Clinical cases of metabolic acidosis

THE ENDOCRINOLOGICAL LABORATORY

Steroid, peptide and amino acid-derived hormones: hints on function, basal levels and conditions of hyper-/hypo-secretion

Laboratory tests in conditions of hyper-/hypo-secretion: hypothalamic-pituitary axis; thyroid; adrenal (cortico- and medullo-adrenal pathologies); male and female sex hormones

THE LABORATORY IN PEDIATRIC DISEASES

Extended newborn screening

Differential diagnosis of childhood obesity

THE LABORATORY IN DISEASES OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

CSF, functions, cerebrospinal fluid examination (normal and pathological values of cytometric and biochemical examination), CSF markers of Alzheimer's disease, laboratory diagnosis of Creuzfeld-Jacob disease, diagnosis of CSF fistula.

THE LABORATORY IN DIGESTIVE DISEASES

Inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, breath test.

THE LABORATORY IN RESPIRATORY DISEASES

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, pulmonary embolism

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lecture notes on AulaWeb

Common laboratory tests - Vaughn G. Appleton & Lange

Medicina di laboratorio, M. Ciaccio et al., Edises

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Consult the detailed timetable at the following link: https://easyacademy.unige.it/portalestudenti/

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam will consist of a written test (multiple-choice quiz) administered in person or on a digital platform.

The test is passed with a score of at least 18/30.

The final grade will be averaged (weighted) with those of the other modules.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam will verify the achievement of the training objectives; in particular, the student's knowledge of the clinical significance of the biochemical-clinical parameters presented in class, of the unit of measurement in which they are expressed and of their dynamic range in the main pathologies for which they represent a diagnostic-prognostic tool.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students with a physical or learning disability certification filed with the University can find information about support services at https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa, a webpage provided by the "Services for the inclusion of students with disabilities and learning disabilities" sector.