Pathology

Overview We give a practical guide to the use of blood bottles in clinical practice. In modern medicine, most hospitals and GP practices are set up with computer software that automatically prints blood labels following a request. This process automatically assigns a test to a blood bottle and reduces the need to handwrite patient information. The required blood bottle on these labels is differentiated by the coloured top (e.g. lavender or gold). Occasionally, when the test is specialist or there is ‘computer downtime’ knowledge of the appropriate blood bottle is required, but you can always ask! We outline a practical guide to

Overview Ascites refers to the presence of pathological fluid within the abdominal cavity. In men, no fluid should be present. In women, up to 20 mls may be considered normal depending on the timing of their menstrual cycle. Ascites is most commonly associated with liver disease. In this context, ascites develops due to portal hypertension. This refers to increased pressure within the portal venous system that drains blood from the gastrointestinal tract to the liver. Other causes of ascites are broadly due to local infiltration (e.g. tumour) of the peritoneal lining, inflammation or infection. Aetiology Ascites can be broadly be divided