HOW CAN MDC-ATLANTA HELP YOUR CLINIC DOCTOR OR NURSE PRACTITIONER?
The most simple and direct answer to this question would include:
-We provide convenient unique mobile diagnostic and therapeutic medical care
- We provide personable, rapid and accurate diagnostic laboratory medical services
-We provide direct communication between patient and doctor, assuring patient safety and reducing out-of-pocket cost to patient
WHAT SYSTEMS ARE EVALUATED BY MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC CHOICES-MDC-ATLANTA
The human body is comprised of several systems, which include:
- Cardiovascular-i.e. heart, blood vessels, and lymphatics
- Respiratory-i.e. upper and lower airways, and lungs
- Gastrointestinal- i.e. esophagus, stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas, gallbladder
- Urinary-i.e. kidney, ureters, urinary bladder, urethra
- Hemato-lymphoid-(also known as reticuloendothelial system)i.e. bone marrow, clotting system, lymph node, spleen, thymus, tonsil
- Reproductive (male and female) -i.e. penis/vagina, uterus, prostate, ovaries, testicles, fallopian tubes, seminal vessicles, vas deferens, breasts
- Musculo-skeletal-i.e. skeletal muscles, bones, joints, tendons, ligaments
- Nervous-i.e. brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves
-Integumentary-i.e. skin and its accessory tissue, i.e. nails, hair, glands
- Immune- (some overlap with hematolymphoid), another name for the body's defense system
- Endocrine-i.e. hormones, i.e. Thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, pancreas, kidney, stomach, intestines, certain male and female organs
At, MDC, we contribute to diagnostic evaluation in ALL OF THE ABOVE HUMAN SYSTEMS by providing a range of diagnostic services, as well as expert interpretations of the medical laboratory tests from blood, urine, serum, plasma, joints, and other bodily fluid samples. We provide appropriate recommendation to your clinic doctor regarding the most effective and efficient tests in order to derive at an accurate diagnosis, as well as to monitor acute or chronic diseases. In addition, we make recommendation to doctor regarding specific laboratory medical tests in order to PREVENT or screen for certain diseases.
OUR DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES INCLUDE:
1. Fine Needle-Aspiration (FNA) of superficial lumps, such as those of breast, thyroid, lymph node, or soft tissue.
During this procedure, a tiny needle, about the size of that used for drawing blood during phlebotomy or the size of one used in threading garment, is inserted into a lump. Cells and fluid from the lump or mass are withdrawn and evaluated and analyzed under the microscope. This procedure has proven diagnostic accuracy in my experience and according to the medical literature. The FNA procedure has lower risks for morbidity/mortality or other medical complications, as compared to having an OPENED surgical biopsy of a lump, which carries more risk of medical complication. This procedure can also be performed on deeper organic or soft tissue lumps (masses) with guidance of imaging methods such as CT-scan or Ultrasound guidance, including such organs as lung, kidney, liver, prostate, bone, etc. The cost to do this procedure is MUCH LESS than the cost for an open surgical biopsy.
a) A request is made by your doctor or nurse practitioner to have the above procedure done.
b) An interview takes place between our pathologist and the patient regarding the risks and benefits of the procedure
c) An appropriate consent form is obtained from the patient or the patient's guardian.
d) The procedure is performed using appropriate methods according to Standards of Medical Care
e) A complete final laboratory medicine report by our physician is submitted to your clinic doctor or nurse practitioner along with recommendation for further evaluation, management and treatment of the disease.
2. Bone marrow Biopsy/Aspiration for low red blood cell count (anemia), low platelet count (thrombocytopenia), leukemia, lymphoma, or metastatic cancer, etc:
During this procedure, a stern, cutting needle is inserted through the cortex of the hip bone, for instance, into the bone marrow space, where cells are withdrawn from the bone marrow, and submitted to the laboratory for further studies and tissue processing, after the skin is cleaned and numbed, as well as numbing the soft tissue, and cortical surface of the bone to control pain. We also give sedative medication to make the procedure more comfortable for the patient.
a) The above steps (a-d) as with FNA, are taken
b) We collect samples for chromosome studies, and flow-cytometry to be submitted to our referenced labs for further processing, evaluation, analysis, and diagnosis.
c) Seven (7) smears are prepared and air dried from the aspirated bone marrow sample; a peripheral blood sample is also collected for review, and a CBC sample is submitted for completeness of the hematological evaluation. A small core of bone marrow is also retrieved for microscopic evaluation by our pathologist., to include appropriate standards of medical diagnostic evaluation, i.e. including other special studies to derive at a definitive diagnosis.
d) A complete final laboratory medicine report is submitted to your clinic doctor or nurse practitioner as well as recommendation for further treatment and management of the disease.
3. Skin Biopsy/Excision: Skin rash (punch biopsy), or skin lesion/cancer (small size-excision).
During this procedure, the skin in cleaned using aseptic technique, and local pain control achieved. A small shaved or punch biopsy is taken with care to minimize scarring. Or for excisional biopsy, a larger excision of skin is taken, and appropriate hemostasis is achieved as well as the skin is surgically sutured, with instructions to patient for appropriate home-care of the wound for appropriate healing.
a) The above steps (a-d) as with FNA are taken
b) Appropriate standards of medical care are taken to retrieve a skin biopsy/excisional sample, i.e.. aseptic technique, local pain control, and controlling of hemostasis, as well as appropriate care of wound with education to patient for appropriate healing.
c) We collect the biopsied sample, analyze and process it for final diagnosis. Additional special studies, if needed to derive at a definitive diagnosis may also be determined by MDC-Atlanta..
d) A final definitive laboratory medicine report is submitted to your clinic doctor or nurse practitioner, as well as further recommendation and follow up for appropriate medical management and treatment of the disease.
4. Any tissue biopsy collected by physician's office practice, i.e. prostate biopsy, cervical biopsy, endometrial biopsy, skin biopsy, breast biopsy, gastrointestinal biopsy, liver biopsy etc:
a) A request is received by your clinic doctor or nurse practitioner who collected the sample to provide diagnostic evaluation by laboratory medicine expert. An interview between our laboratory medicine expert and your doctor or nurse practitioner takes place as well as request for selected medical records from your clinic doctor for completeness of our evaluation, i.e. reviewing your medical history, previous relevant medical diagnoses, previous surgeries, medications, known medical allergy/adverse reaction, abnormal bleeding history, imaging reports, etc.
b) The tissue is received by our pathologist directly as well as handled directly by our laboratory medicine expert, and handled directly by MDC-Atlanta for further processing and preparation of the pathology slides, as well as to perform other definitive studies if needed.
c) All unusual or difficult diagnoses will be shared discreetly via digital connectivity among our associated physician colleagues in various regions of the state, nation, and perhaps the world for accuracy of the diagnostic evaluation.
d) If requested, your prepared pathology slides could be sent to a reference lab of your choice with appropriate handling fees for administrative purpose.
e) A final laboratory medicine report will be submitted to your clinic doctor or nurse practitioner as well as recommendation for appropriate follow up of further evaluation, management and treatment of the disease.
5. Review and Processing for Pap smears, peripheral blood smears, interpretation of flow cytometry , second opinion on pathology slides, and other diagnostic lab tests, etc will be carried out as with the above standards of care for medical procedures.