Our SANAS accredited chemical pathology laboratories are in all nine provinces of South Africa and offer routine and urgent chemistry analysis in over 100 facilities.
What is chemical pathology?
Chemical pathology is the branch of pathology concerned with detecting, measuring and interpreting non-infectious, sub-microscopic molecules. These non-infectious molecules are usually measured in bodily fluids like blood, urine and cerebrospinal fluid but chemical pathology is also responsible for measuring these substances in solids like stool, hair and tissue biopsies.
As medical doctors, the pathologists in pathology laboratories provide a consultative service to our clinicians. This service aids in the interpretation of results and provides guidance on selecting the appropriate tests to confirm a diagnosis, prognosticate, monitor and manage patients.
Branches include biochemistry, endocrinology, inherited metabolic disease, serology, toxicology and molecular pathology.
The central reference laboratory
Operationally, the central reference laboratory (CRL) located in Richmond Johannesburg, is divided into an automated laboratory and 4 semi-automated laboratories.
The automated laboratory (Autolab)
Autolab is a fully automated laboratory within the CRL where high volume, readily automatable testing is performed. Samples are shipped and processed from throughout Africa. Autolab consists of an array of automated analysers that conduct the tests.
These machines are connected by a track that moves the specimens from automated analyser to automated analyser.
The tests conducted include routine chemistry and endocrinology tests. Some serology and virology tests are also performed within the CRL.
Therapeutic drug monitoring laboratory
Therapeutic drug monitoring (medication levels) is conducted on a separate automated analyser.