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Professionalism, commitment and research by professionals on the Campus are the key elements in offering patients excellent care.
We are committed to research as a tool to provide solutions to the daily challenges we face in the field of medical healthcare.
We generate, transform and transmit knowledge in all areas of the health sciences, helping to train the professionals of the future.
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The Clinical Biochemistry Department analyses six million tests a year, and our goal is to generate useful information for the prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and monitoring of diseases.
Every year, the specimen collection department handles more than 180,000 outpatient cases, more than 80,000 admitted patients and 150,000 emergency cases. With our wide range of high-tech analytical systems and an extensive catalogue of highly complex tests, we can cover any and all diagnostic needs for all medical and surgical specialties.
We have an automated central laboratory, as well as functional labs distributed across the specialised units for the various areas of knowledge. We provide support for the Hospital’s catchment area and the primary care laboratories of the Catalan Health Institute (ICS) in the city of Barcelona, which covers approximately one and a half million inhabitants. We also act as a reference laboratory for certain tests for other hospitals in Catalonia and the rest of Spain, for both public and private hospitals.
We should highlight our work on studies monitoring drugs, the screening of prenatal chromosomal abnormalities (a test using foetal DNA in the mother’s blood), as well as the quantification of viral load in hepatitis cases, studies of congenital metabolic defects, disorders of lipid metabolism (such as cholesterol and fatty acids), among many others, applied to both adults and children.
The laboratory is accredited by the Department of Health and complies with all the requirements set forth in Decree 76/1995 of 7th March, which establishes the specific procedures for administrative authorisation of clinical laboratories and the regulations governing the activities carried out therein.
We also have a quality management system that has been ISO 9001: 2008 certified since 2005.
The area of Clinical Biochemistry applies chemical and biological laboratory methods for the diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, prevention and research of diseases, and is comprised of experts from the Clinical Laboratory with a variety of professional experience, from primary care to the high level of specialization in a tertiary hospital. Our challenge is to maintain the high level of automation of the Central Laboratory, designed to allow us to develop highly specialised areas of knowledge in a leading centre such as Vall d’Hebron.
Biochemistry training itinerary
Residents in clinical biochemistry have different objectives and specialised tasks according to which rotation phase they are in.
During their training period, resident doctors prepare to be on duty in the Accident and Emergency Department laboratories, where they calibrate, control and troubleshoot minor failures of analytical instruments. They also collect and extract samples from adult patients admitted to hospital, outpatients and paediatric patients.
During their first rotations they work with instrument warning signals and solutions, analysis and verification of calibrations, and the results of control and differentiation in different patients, outpatients, critical care patients, patients from paediatrics, and those who have had transplants, etc. Specialists subsequently learn about basic haematology, erythropathology, and the use of tumoural markers in the laboratory. Specialists undertake rotations while progressively increasing their level of specialisation and variety, from the areas of Quality, Lipids, Enzymes and Special Techniques, to Allergies, and Molecular Genetics and Hormones, among others.
Lastly, they must work in laboratory management and they have the option to work in the primary care laboratory.
The laboratory encourages residents to take part in research through collaboration during rotations and specific projects in the final phase of their fourth year.
We foster the writing of scientific articles, the design of clinical trials, data analysis, attendance at congresses in the specialisation and potential collaboration with the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute.
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