DIRECTOR: Anand Dighe, M.D., Ph.D.
UNIT DIRECTOR: James G. Flood, Ph.D.
UNIT DIRECTOR: Patrick Sluss, Ph.D.

MEDICAL DIRECTOR: Elizabeth Van Cott, M.D.

LOCATION: Gray 5
PHONE: x6-2345

The Chemistry Laboratory is located on Gray 5 and operates 7 days/week, 24 hours/day. Also located within the Chemistry Laboratory on Gray 5 is the Chemistry Toxicology Service and the Chemistry STAT service. The Chemistry Laboratory is responsible for handling requests for any laboratory service that is not available through MGH clinical laboratories. Questions regarding Chemistry Lab services and protocols should be directed to the office of the Laboratory Director at x6-3635.

Test Availability: Please see listing of laboratory tests.

Reporting of Results:
Outpatient hardcopy reports are distributed each morning. Results of Chemistry Laboratory tests are also available by telephoning x4-LABS (x4-5227).

Critical Values
Critical values are called to the ordering location in accordance with the MGH Critical Values policy.

Criteria for Refusal of Specimens
The Chemistry Laboratory reserves the right to refuse any specimen which is not accompanied by a requisition bearing the patient’s name, unit number and location. The laboratory will refuse to accept specimens that have not been collected according to the protocols outlined in this manual, or ones that have been damaged in transit to the laboratory.

Chemistry STAT Service
The Chemistry Laboratory offers a STAT service which performs the following blood (plasma) tests:

• Sodium
• Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
• Potassium
• Creatinine
• Chloride
• Glucose
• Carbon Dioxide (Total)

Results of these tests are usually available or reported within 20 minutes of specimen receipt by the STAT service. To utilize this service, the requestor must send the Chemistry Laboratory a full 3ml green top tube of blood (containing Lithium Heparin) accompanied by the special red STAT requisition. This STAT service should only be used when results of any of the 7 tests are needed immediately for patient care.

Chemistry Toxicology Service
The Chemistry Laboratory offers comprehensive serum and urine toxicology services 24 hours a day (see “Toxicology Screen, Serum” in the index of tests). Additional tests for the presence of abused drugs in urine are also available (see “Drugs of Abuse, Urine” in the index of tests). For information regarding the detection or quantitation of drugs not specifically listed in the index, please contact the Toxicology supervisor at x6-3636.