Special Chemistry

Overview

The special chemistry laboratory at the UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital performs a variety of laboratory testing from endocrine, infectious disease, and autoimmune disorders to therapeutic drug monitoring and drugs of abuse screening and confirmation. The special chemistry laboratory performs testing for a variety of endocrine disorders by testing analytes such as: testosterone, cortisol, insulin, c-peptide, thyroglobulin, parathyroid hormone, and hemoglobin A1c. The laboratory performs testing necessary for diagnosis and monitoring of a number of inherited genetic disorders such as: cystic fibrosis, hemoglobinopathies/thalassemias, phenoketonuria, and methylmalonic acidemia. The laboratory also performs testing necessary for the diagnosis and monitoring of multiple myeloma.

Serology Testing

In the infectious disease/virology section of the special chemistry laboratory, most high volume serology testing is performed. This includes serologies to detect infections such as HIV, HCV and HBV, or serologies mean to detect serostatus like CMV and rubella testing. This facility also provides Interferon gamma release assay for the detection of latent tuberculosis.

Toxicology

The toxicology/TDM Section of the special chemistry laboratory performs therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), pain management compliance monitoring, illicit drug screening, and confirmation testing as well as identification of volatiles and other toxins in a variety of matrices.

Interpretive Reports

Along with the analysis, a number of tests results in special chemistry are accompanied by a patient specific interpretive report incorporating lab results and relevant clinical information. These include: hemoglobin electrophoresis, serum protein electrophoresis, drugs of abuse screening in meconium, and sometimes hemoglobin A1c results.

Some of the techniques used in the laboratory include Immunoassay, gas chromatography, HPLC, mass spectrometry, and immunoassays.

Faculty

Amy Gewirtz, MD
Interim Director of Clinical Chemistry

Ibrahim Choucair, PhD
Director of Special Chemistry and Toxicology

Robert D Maynard, PhD
Director of Special Chemistry, Point of Care and Blood Gases

Services

Toxicological laboratory provides essential services for diagnosis and management of patients in acute drug overdose, acute exposure to toxins in clinical emergency, and therapeutic drug monitoring. In addition, it provides services for evaluation of patient compliance to pain medicine and neonatal drug exposure.