Labors of the Lab: 31 MDG techs test patients

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Austin Harvill
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  When patients visit the clinic's laboratory, staff members test any number of tissue or fluid samples. The results go to the doctor to ensure proper medical advice, medication or both are administered to help patients begin their road to recovery.

"While most people know us as the ones who stick you with needles, we do so much more behind the scenes," said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Grant Wendland, 31 MDSS medical laboratory technician. "We have multiple sections, specialized machines and quality assurance processes to ensure we give our customers 100 percent accurate results from a large number of different tests."

In order to run a multitude of tests, work has been split into different groups, all revolving around one topic - testing.

Blood, stool, tissue or other samples are tested to determine the condition of a patient's health. After sampling, lab technicians run the tests through chemistry, microbiology, hematology, coagulation or urinalysis sections to determine possible imbalances of cells, chemicals or other factors within the patient.

"Most of our tests are run through a machine, but that isn't why we are really here," said Wendland. "The focus of our job is to continuously check results, especially if we see something concerning."

The first step of their three-step quality assurance process happens before a patient enters the lab. Technicians ensure all vials, schedules and relevant paperwork match the right patient.

"Most mistakes happen before we take a sample," said Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Igl, 31st MDSS clinical laboratory flight chief. "With the amount of patients coming through, a lot of our job is reactionary. We focus on slowing down and ensuring all of the pieces go to the right place."

The second step of the process falls on the equipment. Every machine is calibrated to provide exact results, so Airmen within the lab can trust the results. Only when those results show something out of the ordinary do lab technicians enact step three.

"When checking for an abnormality in a test, we assume something went wrong with the equipment and processes first," said Igl. "If a machine reads an abnormality, even if it coincides with the doctor's diagnosis, we use our expertise to confirm the result."

Once an abnormality is detected, the team begins step three. First and foremost, they run the test again and check for the same result. If the test involves cells or other relatively large objects, they use a microscope and search for the difference.

"Sometimes we have to count a certain type of cell to check for an imbalance, or perhaps the physical conditions of the cells are the problem," said Igl. "Either way, we have to verify the results with our own eyes."

This three-step process occurs every day, all day, with different personnel handling different patients all at the same time.

"We really exercise time management. We owe our patients quality care as soon as possible so they can begin their treatment," said Wendland. "Our expertise is critical to the process, but so is the staff's ability to juggle the different tasks in a safe, expeditious way."

Igl said he believes their efforts are a source of pride, but he hopes their processes reassure patients that they are receiving quality care.

"I really hope our patients know we give them only the best when they are waiting on results," said Igl. "Our team isn't just looking at results or waiting on a machine, they are truly doing everything they can to ensure patients have a healthy, happy future ahead of them."