Procedures for improved discrimination and reporting of laboratory data

Mathematical assisted procedures involving the calculation of a variety of enzyme ratios and other metabolites have been available for many years in laboratory medicine with seemingly little result. However, such mathematical manipulations are likely to provide a renewed source of interest to the clinician and provide improved benefits to patient care as a direct result of: (i) greater understanding as to why changes occur in certain biochemical parameters: (ii) increased accuracy and precision of laboratory data: (iii) most results being numerical and therefore easily manipulated: and (iv) enhancements to data processing facilities already in use in most clinical chemistry laboratories. To illustrate some simple mathematical treatments of laboratory data, examples will be drawn from: (i) anion and osmolar gaps; (ii) enzyme ratios involving AST, ALT and GGT; (iii) (in) enzyme-metabolite manipulations involving ALP, ALT, GGT. and Bilirubin: and (iv) (iv) comment files for optimum thyroid function test analysis and reporting. A number of ease presentations with available data will be subjected to analysis using the above models.