Work of a Laboratory Assistant

If a person consults a doctor, he must undergo different tests: blood analyses, urinalyses, biochemistry studies, stool ova or larvae of parasities test, bacteriological studies, histological studies, etc.

All these tests are performed by a laboratory assistant.

The laboratory assistant must remember that the bacteria with which he is working can produce a disease. So he must be very careful when he works with cultures, slides and all the material that may be in contact with living microorganisms. That's why he must remember the following rules:

1. Microscope slides and cover slips must be put into jars with disinfectant solution.

2. Don't moisten labels with the tongue.

3. Don't eat, drink or smoke in the laboratory.

4. Heat inoculating needles in the flame until red hot for sterilization. Do it before and after

use.

5. Keep test tubes with cultures in test tube racks.

The laboratory is equipped with different apparatuses and instruments. There are microscopes, analytical balances, distillators for obtaining distilled water as the running water contains various impurities, burners to heat solutions and thermometers.

The apparatuses necessary for carrying out analyses are clamped to ring stands. When working in the laboratory, a laboratory assistant should put on a white gown and thoroughly wash his hands in running water before work and after it.

A laboratory assistant must write down all the work carried out in the laboratory into the laboratory report book. All the observations during experiments must be written down into this book in the following form:

1. Title of the experiment and the date.

2. The object of the experiment.

3. Description of the methods used.

4. The names and description of organisms.

5. The results.

6. The conclusion of the results.

Exercise 9. Answer the following questions.

1 .What are the aims of the clinical laboratory? 2. What are the duties of a laboratory assistant? 3.What is the laboratory equipped with? 4.What can you say about the report book?

Exercise 10. Name the rules, which must be followed by a laboratory assistant.

Exercise 11. Choose one of the dialogs below. Act it out with your fellow student.

Pain in the Leg

D: Next, please.

P: Good morning, doctor.

D: Good morning, sit down, please.

P: Thank you.

D: What's your name?

P: My name is...

D: How old are you?

P: I'm...

D: Where do you live? P: I live in...

D: What is your occupation? P: I am...

D: What's wrong with your leg?

P: I fell down on the skating rink and hurt my right leg badly. D: Take your shoe off, I'll examine your foot.

P: My foot isn't broken, I have no swelling on it. But, you see, it is dark blue. D: Yes, it's a bad bruise. You must apply a warm compress on your foot and stay in bed for о or three days. P: Can I walk and do something about the house? D: No, of course not. You must take care of your leg. Stay in bed. P: Will you give me a certificate? D: Yes, see you on Monday. Good-bye. P: Thanks. Good-bye.

Your Arm Is out of Joint

P; Good morning, doctor!

D: Good morning. Sit down, please.

P: My name is...

D: What is your age?

P: 1 am...

D: Where do you live? P: I live in...

D: What is your occupation?

P: I am a driver at a brick factory.

D: What's happened?

P: I have a bad pain in my left arm. Look at it!

D: I shall examine you. Put your arm on the table. Let me see... Do you feel pain here? P: No. D: Here⁹

P: No, no, a little higher.

D: Here? It may be out of joint.

P: The severe pain's in this place.

D: Your arm must be X-rayed as soon as possible.

P: Do you think it's a fracture?

D: No, I'll tell you after your arm is examined. Let's hope for the best. Here is the paper. P: What's this⁹

D: A referral to the X-ray department.

P: May I go?

D: Yes. see you soon.

P: Thanks, doctor.