Anaerobic Culture: A Laboratory Medicine Specialist’s Complete Guide to Diagnosis and Interpretation Written by a Board-Certified Laboratory Medicine Specialist (MD.PhD.) Anaerobic bacteria are among the most frequently overlooked pathogens in clinical microbiology — yet they are responsible for some of the most dangerous, and sometimes fatal, infections encountered in medicine. As a Laboratory Medicine Specialist,…
Bordetella pertussis Culture: A Laboratory Medicine Specialist’s Complete Guide to Diagnosis and Interpretation Written by a Board-Certified Laboratory Medicine Specialist (MD.PhD.) Whooping cough — caused by Bordetella pertussis — is one of the most contagious bacterial respiratory infections known to medicine, and it is making a quiet global comeback. As a Laboratory Medicine Specialist, I…
Understanding the Stool Hemoglobin Quantitative Test (Stool Hb / qFIT): A Laboratory Medicine Specialist’s Guide Written by a Board-Certified Laboratory Medicine Specialist (MD.PhD.) Colorectal cancer remains one of the most preventable cancers — yet it kills hundreds of thousands globally each year, largely because it goes undetected in its early, curable stages. The Stool Hemoglobin…
👩⚕️🧑⚕️ What Is a Medical Intern? A Complete Guide to the First Year of Physician Training and the Crucial Path Toward Choosing a Specialty Medical internship is the first formal step in physician training after earning a medical license. After completing six years of medical school (or a 4-year medical graduate program), most new doctors…
Low Hemoglobin, No Symptoms? A Specialist Explains Why Hb Levels and Anemia Symptoms Don’t Always Match Hematology, Laboratory Medicine, April 13, 2026 As a Laboratory Medicine Specialist, one of the most common questions I receive is: “How can a patient with a hemoglobin of 4 g/dL still be walking and talking?” The short answer is…
Learn why fasting 8–12 hours before blood tests is essential. Discover which lab values rise or fall after eating and how meals affect diagnostic accuracy.
A clear guide to Anti-thyroid peroxidase (Anti-TPO) and Anti-thyroglobulin (TG Ab) tests, including purpose, reference ranges, and clinical interpretation.
Learn the essential differences between BNP and NT-proBNP, including how they are produced, normal ranges, diagnostic cutoffs, and what elevated levels mean in heart failure and other conditions.
An evidence-based look at why the OSCE is so stressful, how performance anxiety affects medical students, whether beta-blockers help, and practical strategies for exam preparation.
CA19-9 is a key tumor marker for pancreatic and biliary cancers. Learn its normal range, causes of elevation, limitations, and how to interpret results accurately.
