Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Laboratory Manual

This manual/website is designed to help you use the services of the Department of Pathology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. We are responsible for laboratory tests needed in the clinical diagnosis and management of patients at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Most of these tests are performed in the hospital’s core Clinical Laboratory, located on the East campus on the third floors of the Finard, Rabb, Gryzmish, and Yamins buildings. Anatomic Pathology testing is performed on the first floor of the East Campus. 

The manual is edited by Keith Boehmer

Getting the right specimen from the right patient and having it properly handled is as important as the testing itself. We provide Phlebotomy Services seven days-a-week from 5:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. for hospitalized patients, and Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. for East campus outpatients, and 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. for West campus outpatients.

Lab Control:

A centralized Laboratory Control section handles most specimen receipt and processing, as well as general questions about the laboratory (call 617-667-LABS [5227]). Test results may be viewed in the hospital’s clinical computer system, and are also printed: for inpatients, as a summary at discharge for insertion in the patient’s medical record; for outpatients, after each encounter.

Rapid Response Services:

Vital laboratory services are available 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week in the laboratories (East campus: Finard 3; West campus: CC-2). This section is responsible for all "stat" requests (even if the testing is also performed routinely in other areas of the laboratory) as well as specialized testing (such as blood gas analysis, microscopic body fluid and urine sediment examinations) that must be performed quickly at any hour of the day or night.

Main Laboratory Sections:

The other major sections of the Division of Laboratory Medicine include: Transfusion Medicine (blood component preparation and related testing); Clinical Chemistry (measurement of enzymes, hormones, drugs, antibodies, and many other analytes); Hematology (cellular analysis of peripheral blood and bone marrow, as well as coagulation testing);Microbiology (bacteriology, virology, mycology, mycobacteriology, parasitology, serology and molecular diagnosis); and Cytogenetics (chromosome analysis).

Anatomic Pathology:

We have also included some information about the Division of Anatomic Pathology , which provides the following services: Surgical Pathology (examination of biopsies and specimens removed at surgery, including frozen section); Cytopathology (examination of cells in fluids or aspirates); and Autopsy Pathology (post-mortem examinations).