Essential reading for candidates for the MRCPath examination and similar postgraduate examinations in clinical biochemistry. A valuable source of reference for qualified clinical biochemists and for those clinicians in other specialties where clinical biochemistry constitutes an important part of the subject, for example nephrology.

The book gives an overview of the acquisition of data, as well as concentrating on clinical aspects of the subject, giving detailed coverage of all conditions where clinical biochemistry is used in diagnosis and management.

In common with other diagnostic specialties clinical biochemistry now uses an increasing number of techniques involving the 'new biology': these are covered in this book. It is also increasingly common for medically qualified clinical biochemists to become involved in the clinical management of patients (eg nutritional support) and material on this will be included.

New to this Edition

Significant changes to content to reflect changes in how clinical chemistry services are organised and to reflect the advent of metabolic medicine as a recognised specialty.
Chapter on Clinical biochemistry of nutrition to include new information on regulation of appetite and the clinical management of obesity.
New chapter to bring together information on inborn errors of metabolism affecting adults.
New chapter on clinical biochemistry of cardiovascular disease.
The diabetes chapter has been split into two separate chapters to allow more detailed description of the practical clinical management of the disease.
Table of Contents
The uses of biochemical data in clinical medicine. The acquisition of biochemical data. The interpretation of biochemical data. Sodium, water and potassium. Hydrogen ion homoeostasis, tissue oxygenation and their disorders. Calcium, phosphate and magnesium. The kidneys, renal function and renal failure. Proteinuria. Renal tubular disorders and renal stone disease. The clinical biochemistry of nutrition. Nutritional disorders and their management. The clinical biochemistry of the gastrointestinal tract. The assessment of hepatic function and investigation of jaundice. Acute and chronic liver disease. Diabetes mellitus: pathophysiology and biochemical background. The clinical management of diabetes mellitus. Hypoglycaemia. Hypothalamic, pituitary and adrenal disorders. Thyroid dysfunction. Hormonal aspects of non-endocrine disease. Abnormal sexual development. The clinical biochemistry of female reproductive function, including pregnancy, oral contraception and hormone replacement therapy. Reproductive function in the male. Inherited metabolic disease. Paediatric clinical biochemistry. Biochemical aspects of anaemia. The porthyrias and disorders of haem synthesis. The haemoglobulinopathies. Immunology for clinical biochemists. Metabolic bone disease. Biochemical aspects of articular disease. Muscle disease. Investigation of cerebrospinal fluid. Biochemical aspects of psychiatric disorders. Biochemical aspects of neurological disease. Biochemical aspects of mental retardation. Lipid metabolism, hyper- and hypo-lipidaemias. The clinical biochemistry of the cardiovascular system. Therapeutic drug monitoring. Poisoning. Metabolic effects of tumours. Tumour markers. Molecular clinical biochemistry. Free radicals.