Check if you need to fast for your test (but don’t skimp on the water)

This was by far the most common answer we heard from collectors. Some tests require that the patients fast for 8 hours before the test to ensure an accurate result. Indulging in a morning coffee is sadly not the same as fasting!

That said, it seems lots of patients aren’t exactly sure what they can have whilst fasting. In most cases, plain water is just fine. Drinking water as you normally do ensures you are hydrated, which makes the entire experience more pleasant for you. So drink up and treat yourself to that latte after the collection.

Different veins call for different collection tools

Collectors use a variety of collection systems including winged infusion sets or ‘butterflies’, vacutainers and syringes. They are trained to assess a person’s veins and select the appropriate system.

Which system they select depends on the number of tubes required, the types of tests requested or the state of your veins on that particular day. Veins can change depending on general health and hydration, so the collection system selected may vary between visits.

Each system has strengths. For instance, butterflies are a great choice when a lot of tubes must be taken. Syringes allow the collector to apply very gentle suction for people with extremely delicate veins. Ultimately, the vacutainer system is the safest for patients and collectors as the blood is contained in a closed system and it has the lowest risk of needlestick injuries.

We take more than blood samples

Pathology tests are performed on all forms of body tissue and bodily fluids so it’s worth checking with your doctor what’s involved in your tests ahead of time. Urinalysis is one of the most commonly requested tests and other collections can include sputum (phlegm) to test for infections in the lungs or breathing passages or stool samples to test for conditions affecting the digestive tract.

We know it’s daunting

As one collector put it, “A brave person tells us they need to lie down.” If you’re prone to fainting or dizziness, there’s absolutely no shame in letting your collector know. In fact, they’d much rather know in advance so they can accommodate you and make your experience as comfortable as possible.

Your phlebotomist is a trained health professional and they will have seen it all before – so there’s no need to feel nervous or embarrassed.

The post Four things your pathology collectors wish you knew first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

Ros began her healthcare career as a nurse, training at the Royal Melbourne Hospital 50 years ago and spent the last few years of her career working as a pathology collector before retiring at Christmas last year.

Ros was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011. She was called back for further examination after an abnormal breast screen and then underwent a fine needle aspiration biopsy and a lumpectomy. This confirmed she had breast cancer that was spreading to her lymph nodes.

Doctors treated Ros using chemotherapy and radiation therapy during which pathology was vital to guide treatment.

Blood tests every three weeks tracked her health during chemotherapy as drug doses must be carefully monitored for side effects.

“Pathology was fantastic” said Ros. “Without it, the doctors would be pouring quite toxic drugs into me without knowing what was going on!”

Although now in remission for her breast cancer, she was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) about a year ago.

A blood test showed abnormal red and white blood cell counts. Further blood tests and a bone marrow biopsy confirmed that Ros had CLL. Luckily the disease was caught in its infancy. She has no symptoms and at the moment she does not require treatment.

Doctors use the results of frequent blood tests and annual bone marrow biopsies to monitor her and assess disease progression.

“Throughout the last five years pathology has been a big part of my life, with regular blood tests as well as the bone marrow biopsy and lymph node biopsy I’ve been no stranger to the pathology team!”

The post “Throughout the last five years pathology has been a big part of my life” – tests help Ros fight 2 types of cancer first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

She has worked as a collector in the Tasmanian capital for more than ten years so has seen many patients pass through her collecting room for a myriad of reasons.

Pathology collectors like Kathy are the face of a largely unseen but vital part of healthcare. As well as being an important link in the chain that provides the answers doctors need to know, Kathy is also a patient herself; she needs regular blood testing to manage her type 2 diabetes.

“I didn’t have any symptoms but there is a history of diabetes in my family so a few years ago I discussed this with my doctor who decided to check my blood sugar level. As it was a bit high the doctor began regular tests to monitor me and I made sure I was doing regular exercise and watching my diet to keep it at bay.”

Kathy says she was pre-diabetic for about four years but eventually was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

“My blood sugar level was creeping up despite my efforts and then it suddenly jumped so the doctor sent me for an HbA1c test that revealed I had type 2 diabetes.”

As a 51-year-old woman who is not overweight and had no symptoms, Kathy might not have realised the risk except for being aware of the familial link.

“A healthy lifestyle has always been an important part of our family life, so it has been a huge surprise to me that I have become diabetic.”

Her two brothers have diabetes and her sister was diagnosed around twenty years ago but has managed to reverse progression of the disease with lifestyle modifications. This was what prompted Kathy to discuss testing with her doctor.

Alongside her treatment, Kathy makes sure she looks after herself with regular exercise and keeping an eye on what she eats. She is managing to keep her HbA1c level relatively low and has testing done every 3 months to monitor her progress.

“Cooking is one of the things I have always enjoyed doing and so eating healthily isn’t hard. My regular exercise is walking with my husband and friends and a good workout at the gym.”

Kathy has been married to her husband Rod for 19 years and they have three “wonderful” children. She says she does not find her condition limiting, “I enjoy working in the garden, camping and cooking for family and friends.”

However, she is aware that if she didn’t manage her diabetes well, things could be much worse. Poorly managed diabetes can lead to complications such as heart disease, kidney damage and eye problems so early diagnosis and monitoring through regular pathology tests is very important.

The post Pathology is a living and a lifeline for Tasmanian collector Kathy first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

When Sarah gave birth to her first son 10 years ago, she had had a good pregnancy and her delivery went really well. However, when it came to the day of her discharge from hospital, Sarah was feeling really unwell. She was in a lot of pain but when the doctors checked her they assured her it was normal and she was fine to go home.

When Sarah went to the nursery to collect her son she felt very ill. “I felt like I couldn’t breathe and was going to pass out,” said Sarah.

She insisted to doctors that something was wrong and so they agreed to run some blood tests. The tests showed she had septicaemia.

Septicaemia is when disease-causing bacteria are present in the blood. Sometimes this can happen without symptoms or consequence as our bodies are able to effectively fight infection. However, when the immune system is weakened, the bacteria in the blood can cause serious infections or inflammation and may even be fatal.

Sarah was kept in hospital for two weeks and received several blood tests every day to monitor her progress. Her veins collapsed from so many blood tests and the collectors would often struggle to get blood – but they were always very careful and managed to do the job.

Sarah was so impressed by the treatment she received and so grateful for the diagnosis from pathology that she entered the profession herself. She is now a pathology collector and supports the Know Pathology Know Healthcare initiative by handing out information cards to her patients.

Her experience has helped Sarah in her job. She sees the role of pathology from the patient’s perspective and understands how they feel waiting for results and the reliance they have on those results – they are vital for peace of mind and confidence in a diagnosis.

Sarah also says pathology helped in her next pregnancy.

“I had a lot of anxiety because I didn’t want something similar to happen again, but blood tests gave me peace of mind that everything was ok.”

Sarah now has three happy, healthy children Makayla (12), Malakai (10) and Caleb (8), and pathology continues to play an important role in her family’s healthcare.

The post Saving Sarah: how pathology was vital when Sarah gave birth to baby Malakai first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

Last week he returned to the pathology laboratory that monitored his health during his journey to the brink of poor health from hidden sugars. Adam Bandt, Federal Member for Melbourne, joined Damon on the tour.

So how do you celebrate winning an Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award in the same week as receiving word that your film is the highest grossing Australian documentary of all time? Well, go for a blood test, of course.

Damon was reunited with his regular collector, Sharon, to have his blood drawn in order to discover if his health has returned to normal since he went back to a low sugar diet. Over the course of the next hour, Damon and Adam witnessed the journey from vein to result, and the vast array of laboratory investigation that happens in between.

Pathology Awareness Australia Ambassador Dr Ian Clark led the tour showcasing departments including microbiology, cytogenetics and haematology.

The lab is one of the busiest in Victoria and is responsible for producing 16,000 test results a day. Adam and Damon watched state-of-the-art technology and met the highly skilled people working 24/7 behind the scenes to produce life-changing results. They even examined slides comparing a healthy liver to a ‘fatty liver’ so they could see the effect Damon’s experiment had on his body – Damon developed a fatty liver after just 18 days of eating a high sugar diet.

Adam Bandt was clearly impressed:

“I am proud that Melbourne is home to world-leading medical facilities. It is a privilege to meet the people involved and see their work first-hand.”

Damon breathed a sigh of relief when he received his blood test results at the end of the tour – less than an hour after blood collection. Thanks to the help of the lab he went home knowing his health was better than ever.

The post Adam Bandt MP and award-winning actor witness pathology up close first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

Medical Scientist – Alicia Thompson

Alicia had been interested in science since high school and after completing her studies went to work as a food scientist testing dairy products for safety. Alicia enjoyed the work but always knew she wanted to move into medical science;

“I liked the fact there was a human being at the end of a test”. Alicia said, “After nine years I still get a rush out of my work. It’s stressful when we’re really busy but I thrive off the adrenaline rush. The phone rings and it could be anything from a car accident with multiple traumas needing blood transfusions, or a critically ill baby needing a test for an infection around the brain. Every day you’re jumping into the unknown.”

When asked about memorable moments Alicia said:

“There are lots of small moments that have made me proud of my work over the years. Often if a patient is going into surgery I’ll try to prepare in advance for potential requests from the surgeons. A couple of times the patient was bleeding heavily and they needed more red blood cells. When I’ve been able to pre-empt the request from the surgeon and have everything ready to go immediately they’re very impressed. It’s not often we get a ‘thank you’ but on those occasions the anaesthetist has called me up directly to thank me for my role in helping to save a patient’s life. That feels pretty good!”

Pathologist – Dr David Clift

David says that during his medical training he was at first intending to become a surgeon.

“As an undergraduate student I didn’t understand the importance of pathology but as a resident in a hospital working for a cancer surgeon, and also working in a haematology department, I got to see how important and interesting pathology was.”

David says that his area of pathology is incredibly valuable and interesting. He enjoys the personal diagnostic challenges that are different every day but also knows the importance of being able to help another medical practitioner to provide a more personalised service. He says that pathologists also see rare conditions more often than many other practitioners, which helps them to provide better advice to surgeons.

One case of an uncommon disease that David diagnosed helped safeguard a group of children:

“One of the most dramatic cases where my work made a difference was when I made a diagnosis of a serious infectious disease at autopsy. It was meningococcal septicaemia in a young child; I made the diagnosis in the morning and public health measures were being taken by the afternoon for a whole grade one class. I have grandchildren at this age so it felt good to work together with microbiology and public health to help protect these children.”

Collection Services Manager – Peta Martin

Peta started as a lab technician in the Royal Australian Air Force and while working there trained as a medical scientist. Peta said that working as a medical scientist in the RAAF was different from her later roles in the civilian world;

“We were working with a closed population of people who were generally healthy so a lot of what we did was screening tests, but we also had hospitals and field medical units. We did everything from collection to ward rounds and working in the lab.”

The thing Peta likes most about her current role as a Collection Services Manager is the direct contact with patients. “We’re the face of pathology, the people the patient remembers,” she said.

A particular moment which is a good example of this personal touch happened during a time Peta worked in a country setting;

“We had a lady with a condition called cold agglutinins causing a haemolytic anaemia* – once the blood samples are collected, as soon as the blood starts to cool the red cells agglutinate (clump together) resulting in many tests being impossible to perform on those samples. Everything had to be warmed up for this patient; from the bleeding room to the tubes, the collection devices and needles. Watching my staff go out of their way to help this lady and knowing we were helping her in her crisis moment was pretty wonderful.”

*Hemolytic anemia is a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed and removed from the bloodstream before their normal lifespan is over

The post “After nine years I still get a rush out of my work” – up close and personal with the people behind pathology first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

We’re sharing five of our favourites but we want to hear from you too. What’s the most common myth about pathology you hear? Or maybe you’d like to confess to your own confusion? Get in touch on Twitter or Facebook and share your best #pathologymyths.

1. Results are instant

Ever been amazed by how doctors on TV shows are able to get a sample, take it into the laboratory for testing and have their results back to the patient in a matter of minutes? Well actually it’s not quite that simple. It takes longer for a pathologist to analyse a tumour specimen than it takes for the surgeon to remove it and even common tests can take time.

Significant developments in technology are certainly helping pathologists to speed up diagnoses. Previously, for example, bacterial identification by a microbiologist would require at least 24 hours but this time has been reduced to a matter of minutes in many laboratories thanks to MALDITOF mass spectrometry machines. Pathologists are able to insert an organism on a metal plate into the machine and receive an instant identification of the bacteria, allowing for a much quicker diagnosis for the patient.

2. The collector performs the test

On average a phlebotomist in a busy collection centre will have just six minutes to welcome a patient, take their sample, explain the aftercare procedures and prepare for their next patient. But this doesn’t stop many visitors to a collection centre from assuming that the collector taking their blood is able to nip into a back room and carry out the (often multiple) tests ordered by their doctor.

The job of a phlebotomist is its own specialty that requires specific training and education. This is distinct from the training that a pathologist will undergo. Pathologists require up to 13 years of tertiary education, and scientists from 4-8 years, to qualify in one of the 9 subspecialties of the profession.

In reality those samples taken by the collector will be sent to a laboratory where pathologists and scientists in Australia are working around the clock to perform 100 pathology tests every minute of every day.

3. Pathology is all about blood tests

Approximately 12 million Australians have had a pathology test in the past 12 months. Although blood is one of the most common sample types required, today’s technologies allow testing on a wide variety of samples that are collected from the human body.

Samples used by pathologists other than blood include urine, saliva, sputum, faeces, semen and other bodily fluids, as well as tissue extracted via biopsy or surgery.

4. Pathologists have no bedside manner

Who is responsible for the care of patients? Doctors, nurses, GPs, surgeons… pathologists? Most people probably wouldn’t think of that last one; they assume pathologists stay hidden in labs, away from patient contact.

Although it’s true that not all pathology personnel have direct patient contact, many do – particularly haematologists, chemical pathologists, immunopathologists and medical microbiologists.

Even if a pathologist has never come into direct contact with a patient it doesn’t mean they’re not invested in their care. One of our favourite stories came from a pathologist who had begun to recognise one woman’s records after numerous failed IVF attempts. When the pathologist finally reported a positive result she had her own celebration.

5. General Practitioners are pathologists

Just like with collectors, many patients assume that their GP is performing the tests on their samples. Pathologists are often referred to as the ‘Doctors’ Doctor’ because without them, clinicians would not have the answers they need.

Pathologists spend a significant proportion of their time consulting with other health professionals, including General Practitioners and specialists, to explain test results and advise on next steps for diagnosis and treatment.

The post Fact not fiction: five pathology myths debunked first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

Starting in late July, pathology collectors across Australia will be giving a special business card to every patient they see which tells the patient about the Know Pathology Know Healthcare campaign.

Know Pathology Know Healthcare is all about helping patients to become more informed about their healthcare and the vital role of pathology.

The majority of pathology work is done in laboratories away from public view, so interactions with pathology collectors are often the only time when most patients will meet a person who is part of the team that delivers their test results.

Know Pathology Know Healthcare is using these interactions as our opportunity to reach out to patients and tell them about the initiative and what’s in it for them.

The business cards direct patients to the Know Pathology Know Healthcare website. As well as containing information about what pathology is, plus news and patients stories, the website gives patients access to the Lab Tests Online database where they can find out more about their tests.

The business cards give busy collectors an easy way to spread the word and help patients become better informed about their healthcare.

In dealing with patients every day, collectors are already the face of pathology, representing the 25,000 Australians who work in the profession. The business cards offer another way collectors can help to educate patients about the world of pathology.

If you’re not already a supporter, sign up at our homepage to stay informed about campaign activities and pathology news.

The post Collectors move the needle for a health-savvy Australia first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.