Diagnostic Services  

Diagnostic laboratories play an important role in the diagnosis of disease before the start of treatment and also monitoring of patient once the treatment has been initiated. All the diagnostic laboratories of this hospital are equipped with high end equipments. Pathology department performs biopsy testing, fine needle aspiration cytology and investigations for various blood related diseases. In biochemistry laboratory modern equipments for measuring levels of various substances in blood are available. Regular quality control checks are performed on these equipments; hence the test result are very reliable. In microbiology laboratory tests for identifying various infections are performed. It has ultra modern “Polymerase Chain Reaction” and “Bact T-Alert” testing facilities. For detection of AIDS, VCTC testing centre has been opened. Radiology department possesses facilities to carry out investigations such as X-ray, ultrasonography, CT scan and MRI.

 

Clinical biochemistry lab is situated in the Hospital building with 24X7 stat lab facilities and has two sections- routine clinical chemistry and endocrinology. It was started in September 2003. At present this laboratory processes 450 samples with 2000 investigations every day. The Lab is committed to providing a high quality and efficient service to its users.

Total quality performance of the Lab is monitored by participating in the External Quality Accreditation programme like Biorad EQAS run by Biorad, USA and EQAS programme run by CMC, Vellore. Internal Quality assurance is done by performing daily controls from Biorad, USA.

The Lab is equipped with the following instruments

Special investigations like Serum protein Electrophoresis, Hemoglobin Electrophoresis (semi-automated Helena electrophoresis equipment), screening for IEM, stone analysis is also performed.

The Lab has also installed the LIS (Laboratory Information System) through which the specimens are bar-coded, tested and the results are automatically sent online from Lab to OPDs , wards and to end users. This speeds up the test reporting and also minimizes transcriptional errors.

 

The Microbiology laboratory is distributed in different sections like Bacteriology, Serology, Immunology, Mycobacteriology, Mycology, Virology, Parasitology and Molecular biology. Approximately 70,000 samples are evaluated every year at this laboratory. Most of the modern instruments and equipments like BacT/ALERT 3D automated blood culture system, several biosafety cabinets, ELISA system, Mini API, Mini VIDAS, a Leika fluorescence microscope, automated autoclave, electronic balances etc. are spread over a vast working area. A state of art molecular biology laboratory with conventional as well as Real-Time PCR equipments is the pinnacle of this department. In spite of having best of the equipments the diagnostic services are offered to the common people at a considerably low cost. The serology section performs the fourth generation ELISA test for diagnosis of AIDS. Immunology section has various tests for rapid diagnosis of many infections. A few significant isolations to clinch difficult diagnosis have been made by this department. Isolation and identification of brucella species, Cladophialophora bantiana – a neurotropic fungus, Burkholderia pseudomallei, rare candida species have been highly appreciated by experts across the country. Rapid diagnosis of malaria, dengue etc. is helping the clinicians to treat patients effectively. PCR for diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections has been established and it is providing the test at a highly reasonable cost to the needy. Work on establishing the test for other infectious and non-infectious parameters is going on. The RNTCP laboratory of the institute which is located in the Department of Microbiology, has won the “Best RNTCP Center” in Karnataka prize. The ICTC centre for voluntary testing for HIV infection is also functioning in this department.

 

Pathology department is well equipped to carry out various hematology, clinical pathology, cytopathology, histopathology investigations and also perinatal autopsies. Hematology section has 5 part and 3 part differential automated blood analyzers and coagulometers. Clinical pathology wing which is located in sample collection centre performs routine urine analysis and semen analysis. Both direct and CT/USG guided FNACs are performed in cytopathology section. Pap smear reporting and fluid cytology are also done in this section using cytocentrifuge and thin-prep equipments. Histopathology section is equipped with fully automated tissue processor and state of art cutting and staining equipments. Frozen sections for rapid histopathology diagnosis are regularly done here. It also has facilities to perform special stains and immunohistochemistry.

Department is equipped with 3 X-ray units with conventional and video fluoroscopy integrated with the CR system along with 8 portable X-ray machines.

CR system with 24 CR cassettes, two dry view cameras, two laser printers, and X-ray film digitalizer.

PACS – System: The images captured on CR system are easily made available within a few minutes, to the clinician on their personal computers, about 75 in number, located in OPD, Wards, OT and casualty etc.

This has grossly reduced the waiting period for image viewing and hence faster patient disposal. The reports too are pushed through HIS coupled with RIS.

Additional advantages areno film loss, far better image quality, no need to physically store the images. Easy to maintain the records on large memory devices and equally easier to archive the images within a short time of afew seconds.

Whole of this system has made our department as a filmless department. Image prints are given on request either on CD or laser prints at nominal charges.

 

The department is equipped with 6 high end ultrasound units with thermal printers and 2 portable machines and 1 ECHO machine. We have recently added two more portable USG units exclusively for NICU and theatre.

Investigations are performed at ultrasonography section include

Mammography: The department is equipped with a high end mammography unit for breast cancer screening.  

We have commissioned MDCT ( Multi Detector CT)128 slices, dual energy CT scanner adding strength to the departmental diagnostic performance. 

All the earlier CT investigations like Denta scan, Virtual CT bronchoscopy and colonoscopy, Multi-planer reconstruction, 3D and VRT, Perfusion scan and guided  interventional procedures are performed with highly improved image quality and lesser scan time.

 

Very short scan time e.g. whole body scan from head to toe, especially in poly trauma cases, can be covered in 10 to 12 seconds.

MDCT angiographies of any part of the body, MDCT coronary angiography with superb reconstructed images, is being regularly performed.

Being Dual energy Unit, Stone evaluation, metal artifact removal and other applications are being regularly performed.

Middle and inner ear studies can be performed utilizing sub-millimeter slice thickness.

All the post-processed images are of high quality produced within short period due to faster performance with thinner slices. 

The department is also equipped with the state of the art 1.5 T MRI with 10 coils including special coils for wrist, shoulder, ankle and temporo-mandibular joint. Special studies which are done using this equipment include