CLINICAL LAB SCIENEC

448
GLOSSARY
Commission on Colleges (COC) Accrediting
organization of the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools
Complete blood count (CBC) Measures white blood
cells and red blood cells as well as qualitative
characteristics; screens for and monitors a variety
of disorders, such as anemia
Continuous quality improvement (CQI) Program
that documents improvement in institutional
performance over a period of time
Convalescent phase Follows the initial acute phase in
a bacterial infection when the antibody level drops
as the patient recovers from the infection
Cost center Component of a health care facility,
such as a clinical laboratory or pharmacy, which
generates revenue for the facility
Crenated Scalloped shaped; used to describe red
blood cells in a hypertonic solution
Cross match Process of determining if a recipient of a
unit of blood has antibodies against the donor unit
Cryptococcus Spore-forming yeast found in soil and
bird droppings that may cause meningitis and
other infections in immunosuppressed individuals
Crystal violet stain Stain used to dye bacteria for
microscopic evaluation
Cubital vein, medial Vein at the bend of the inner
elbow connecting cephalic and basilica veins
Cumulative sum (CUSUM) control chart Data
analysis technique for determining if a
measurement process has gone out of statistical
control
Cuvette Clear container used for measuring
spectrophotometric changes in a liquid or a
mixture
Cyanmethemoglobin Compound of cyanide and
methemoglobin; quantitative measure of its
presence in blood identifies various types of
anemia
Cytotechnologist Medical technician trained in the
identification of cells and cellular abnormalities
Damages Compensation paid to a claimant if he or
she is successful in court at proving loss, injury, or
harm suffered by another’s breach of duty
D antigen Blood grouping antigen that denotes
whether an individual is Rh positive or negative
Deciliter Metric measure of volume equaling 0.1 liter
or 100 mL
Decolorizer Solution of ethanol and acetone used to
remove dye from a stained microbiological specimen
Decontamination Removal of harmful
microorganisms or toxic chemicals through
physical, chemical, or heating methods
Delta change (Δchange) Any change in value of
something being measured
Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) U.S. Federal agency with control over
budgets for all human health programs, including
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
and the Food and Drug Administration
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
(HEW) U.S. Former name for the current U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services
Dipstick Plastic strip with chemically treated pads
that react to various chemical constituents during
urinalysis
Director Supervisory head of a laboratory
Direct leukocyte count (DLC) Actual count of white
blood cells in a prescribed volume; reported as a
percentage
Direct test or method Procedure that directly
measures the presence of a virus rather than
measuring antibodies formed against the virus
Discrete analysis Analytic process in which test
reactions take place in separate compartments; the
compartments require cleaning or disposal before
subsequent procedures
Doctor of osteopathy (D.O.) Licensed physician
who emphasizes treatment of the patient as a
whole, rather than focusing on one system or
body part
Duty Moral or legal obligation
EDTA Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; used as an
anticoagulant to preserve morphology of blood
cells; the tube for blood collection containing
EDTA is lavender
Efficiency Selection of test method that produces the
greatest number of correct results; wise use of time
and resources
Electrochemistry Testing process that measures
chemical reactions that take place in a solution
when electric voltage is applied
End-point reaction Procedure in which the reaction
between reagent and patient sample is complete
and remains stable for a period of time; also called
colorimetric reaction
Engineered controls Safety controls that are
manufactured, such as sharps disposal containers,
self-sheathing needles, and eye-washing facilities
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