On successful completion of this module, the student will be able to:
1. Discuss commonly used laboratory tests, their indications and basic interpretation.
2. Outline laboratory safety and quality control measures.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of a range of practical laboratory skills relevant to clinical pathology, microbiology and parasitology.

Lecture and Practical Titles and Content
1) Introduction to module and to ClinPath -lectures Module description. Objectives. Assessment details. Schedule. ClinPath texts and references. Definitions. Sub-disciplines of ClinPath. Description, components of,and example of a clinpath profile. Lab management. Pre-analytical vs analytical variation. Blood collection. Serum versus plasma
2) Working in the ClinPath Lab - lecture Practice vs Referral labs. Submissions to referral labs. Setting up a clinpath area in a vet practice. Health and Safety. PPE, MSDS, Waste disposal. Emergencies in the lab. First Aid. Safe behavior. Basic equipment in the lab area of the vet practice. Internal and external QC, GLP, SOP, validation
3) The RBC - lecture Definitions. The CBC. Determining and interpreting haematocrit with total protein. Determining and interpreting RBC indices. Making, drying, staining and examining blood smears. Abnormal erythrocyte shapes. Common findings in anaemias: immune-mediated, infectious anaemia, Heinz body
4) The RBC - tutorial Discussion and illustration of the standard operating procedures to be followed in the lab on RBCs
5) The RBC - practical Demo then supervised performance by eachstudent: measurement / interpretation of haematocrit with reader & centrifuge and total protein with refractometer making and staining blood smears, reticulocyte staining, systematic exam of blood smear using microscope; study of cases of anaemia
6) The WBC - lecture The 5 WBCs morphological description in health and disease. Total and differential WBC counts. WBC functions. Differences between species. How to count WBCs manually and by analyser. How analysers work. Appearance of leukemia, septicemia and WBC parasites on a blood smear
7) The WBC - tutorial Discussion / illustration of the standard operating procedures to be followed in the lab on WBCs.
8) The WBC - practical Demo then supervised performance by each student: total count with haemocytometer, making and staining blood smear and doing a differential count measurement with microscope, systematic exam of blood smear using microscope; study of cases of leukemia and inflammation
9)Clinical Biochemistry - lecture Functions and common Clin Biochem used for diseases of liver, pancreas (diabetes, pancreatitis, insufficiency), thyroid (feline hyperthyroidism and canind hypothyroidism) and adrenal cortex.(Cushings, Addisons). Cause of electrolyte and acd-base imbalance
10) Case Examples - lecture ClinPath profiles of marked liver disease, lymphoma, intestinal parasites, rodenticide poisoning including haematology, biochemistry, cytology and coagulation. Presentation and discussion of changes seen in 4 major diseases.
11) Cytology - lecture When, why and how to take and process fine needle aspirates and biopsies from lumps and bumps and body cavities. How to process samples and prepare slides from biopsies. The top microscopic findings in diseases lumps and bumps, lymph nodes, body cavities, joints. identifying malignancy.
12) Urinalysis - lecture Why do it. How to collect, process and analyse. Gross exam, Specific gravity, Dip-stick analysis. Sediment exam for common crystals, tubular casts, blood, inflammation, and crystals. Examples of findings: renal failure, anti-freeze poisoning, urinary tract infection, liver disease, cancer
13) Urinalysis - tutorial Discussion and illustration of the standard operating procedures to be followed in the lab on urinalysis
14) Urinalysis - practical Demo then supervised performance by each student: gross description; measurement of SG with refractometer, dipstick analysis, preparation of sediment, and analysing a wet mount under the microscope. study of cases of abnormal crystals, infection, haematuria
15) Coagulation - lecture Haemostasis – blood vessel, platelet and clotting factor roles and description. Measurement of extrinsic and intrinsic clotting. Assessing fibrinolysis. History and symptoms of clotting disorders: hereditary von Willebrands, haemophilia, thrombocytopenia, rodenticide poisoning, DIC.
16) Microbiology lecture 1 Introduction to basic microbiology – definitions and bacterial structure and function, including capsule, flagella etc
17) Microbiology lecture 2 Introduction to diagnostic laboratory microbiology – culturing bacteria; basic techniques for identification of bacteria
18) Microbiology lecture 3 Host – pathogen relationships – brief overview of how bacteria cause disease with some examples. Superficial overview of immunity to bacteria
19) Microbiology lecture 4 Antibiotic susceptibility testing and diagnosis of ringworm – some theoretical aspects to compliment practical classes
20) Microbiology lecture 5 Infection control and disinfection – basic principles of infection and disease control, isolation, cleaning and disinfection
21) Microbiology practical 1 Health and Safety. Collection and submission of specimens. Introduction to working in a microbiology laboratory. Demonstration of packaging and discussion of sample containers and packaging required for a variety of diagnostic purposes. Self-assessment exercise on sampling and packaging
22) Microbiology practical 2 Infection control, Antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Each student does an antimicrobial susceptibility test, each student carries out a mock infection control test. Assignment with questions on infection control, monitoring and susceptibility testing to ensure students understand concepts involved.
23) Microbiology practical 3 Basic diagnostic mycology and reading of results from practical 2. Students perform basic tests for diagnosis of yeast and ringworm infections. Assignment on diagnostic mycology and interpretation of results from practical 2
24) Microbiology tutorial Diagnostic microbiology. This tutorial combines some didactic teaching with examination of culture results from ‘real’ diagnostic samples. A number of different possible results are discussed and students complete a short assignment that examines their ability to interpret bacteriological results.
25) Parasitology techniques –
e-lecture One 5-minute pre-recorded lecture on faecal flotation and sedimentation methods used to detect parasitic eggs in faecal material. At the end of the lecture students are asked to complete a short quiz and submit their answers (formative assessment).
26) Parasitology techniques- lecture Overview of ‘direct’ detection methods and their specific advantages/ disadvantages. Detailed description of several standard techniques (gross examination, direct mount, concentration methods). Guidelines on selection of most appropriate diagnostics for any given parasite.
27) Serology & molecular Biology- e-lecture Two pre-recorded e-lectures that explain the principles of indirect ELISA (7 minutes) and PCR (9 minutes). At the end of each lecture students are asked to complete a short quiz and submit their answers (formative assessment).
28) Serology and molecular biology- lecture Overview of molecular and serological diagnostic methods and their specific advantages/ disadvantages. Comparison of different ELISA formats.
29) Parasitology techniques- practical Students to carry out a faecal sugar flotation and identification of several parasites eggs and parasitic mites. Demonstration of KOH treatment of skin scrapings for presence of mites.
30) Student Lab Practice Revision for Practical Exam - 1 hour supervised practical for groups of 3-4 students at a time. In this period they repeat practical skills learned in the labs in preparation for the practical exam

Student cannot be awarded credit for this module if they have already achieved similar educational outcomes in higher, further or secondary education.

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback
• Self-assessment activities

midterm MCQ exam results given back immediately after exam completion General comments on performance and areas of strength and weakness given to class after MCQ exam Practical performance feedback is interactive and given live during the practicals, similarly for the tutorials Practice exams with answers, and criteria for evaluation of practical skills are given