One for Doc Alan - Barts Pathology Museum

[Dedworth]

http://www.qmul.ac.uk/bartspathology/

[Doc Alan]

Thank you, Ded :xxgrinning--00xx3:!

Museums of preserved pathology specimens are still used for teaching medical students and postgraduate doctors – there are others in London ( https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/museums/wellcome ;
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/gordon/index.aspx
) and elsewhere (http://www.gla.ac.uk/hunterian/
).


• " Seeing inside dead bodies " describes post mortems which are nowadays mostly " forensic ", where the cause of death is unknown or suspicious
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-31536753
).


• While the Barts Museum was named as " one of CNN's Ten Weirdest Medical Museums in the World " :omg: it’s worth pointing out ( again ) that pathology is vital for the prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of many of the leading causes of disease.



• Despite what the public may think, many pathologists don’t do post mortem examinations - if they do, it’s usually a small proportion of their work.



• In the UK, of all the doctors on the Specialist ( non GP ) Register of the GMC, a minority are pathologists. Most are histopathologists ( 2000+ ) who spend most of their time making clinical diagnoses by microscopy.


• Cellular pathology includes histopathology ( microscopic study and diagnosis from tissues – biopsies/samples, and surgically removed ) and cytopathology ( looking at cells, for example from cervical smears ).

A " test result " requires human skills, not just machines :xxgrinning--00xx3: ! This forms the majority of most pathologists’ work and is needed for diagnosis, not only of cancers but also many other conditions, in living patients !



• Microbiology – infectious diseases ( diagnosis of tuberculosis, malaria, ebola and many others ).


• Haematology – blood diseases like leukaemia, and blood transfusion.


• Clinical biochemistry / chemical pathology – body chemistry like electrolytes, glucose for diabetes, and cholesterol measurements. These are done by machine but require human interpretation.


• Immunology – study and diagnosis of " host defences " ( antibodies ) which help in treatment and checking if vaccines have worked.


• Genetics – study of inheritance, chances of acquiring diseases and DNA analysis ( for clinical and legal purposes ).


• Training to become a pathologist takes at least 12 years after leaving school - it involves becoming a doctor and then specialising in one of the many branches of laboratory medicine.


• Pathology services provide around 70% of ALL diagnoses used for clinical decisions, using only 2% of global healthcare spending. Diagnosis and treatment of disease across the globe depends on pathology :xxgrinning--00xx3: !


• Pathologists don’t work in isolation – but with teams of other health professionals including surgeons, radiologists, cancer specialists and nurses, to ensure treatment is correct for each patient. Medically qualified pathologists, scientists and other laboratory professionals also play a vital role in public health - defining disease patterns in populations ; keeping cancer registries ; lowering rates of medical errors and infections ; and improving overall quality of healthcare.

[Dedworth]

It was on the London News after ITV News @ 10

[Steve.r]

I think we don't often think of all the work behind the scenes in our hospitals and how vital the decisions made by the pathology departments. Nice post Alan

[Michael Parnham]

Nice one Ded, always good to learn something new. Thank you!:xxgrinning--00xx3: