HEALTH ESTABLISHMENTS: THE PAUCITY OF EFFECTIVE LABORATORY RESEARCH

International Journal of Community Research

ISSN: 2315 – 6562

Nwaopara, IJCR 2013; 2(4): 57

EDITORIAL COMMENT
HEALTH ESTABLISHMENTS: THE PAUCITY OF EFFECTIVE LABORATORY RESEARCH

NWAOPARA, A.O., FIIA, PhD
Published: 31st October, 2013

It is a well known fact that effective patient management and recovery, depends not only on the
therapeutic strategies employed, but also the specificity and efficacy of such strategies based on accurate laboratory findings. Unfortunately, there are concerns that medical laboratory investigations in various Nigerian health establishments are not properly conducted as some relevant revelations from countless investigations are ignored. Imaging an instance whereby a blood sample
is being examined for malaria parasite (MP) and in the course
of the investigation, the scientist detects a rare parasite and then ignores it because he/she is concerned with MP only. This implies therefore, that beyond routine laboratory duties, there is the research aspect of laboratory medicine and practice which must not be ignored.
   Of course, several human samples like blood, urine, stool tissue biopsies, sputum, semen,
cerebrospinal fluids, etc., are collected for laboratory investigations daily. These samples collected (whether in sterile
condition or not), are usually subjected to several standardized and tested laboratory procedures
which sometimes, involves the use of reagents, media, kits, stripes etc, that have been carefully studied,
experimented upon, and approved for clinical laboratory applications; further confirming the importance of research in laboratory medicine
and practice. Though ethical issues must not be ignored, one might
wonder however, what fate had befalling various rare and relevant epidemiological revelations about
certain diseases and ailments scientists come across daily in the course of performing their routine duties.

The query is: beyond routine laboratory investigations, are laboratory scientists involved in
active research? It is rather disheartening to disclose that
despite the volume of samples collected from patients daily, little is being done on the aspect of comparative analysis/evaluation of laboratory results, associated complications, incidence/prevalence and patient-clinical management strategies/therapeutic
choices; especially for the sake of the next patient with similar conditions. It is high time medical scientists understood squarely,
that the importance and motive behind improvements achieved over the years in laboratory medicine, is to make laboratory investigations more accurate,
effective, less time consuming, and
‘reproductive’, such that patients on emergency can quickly be attended to. Sincerely, it is worrisome to admit the lack of effective research in Nigerian health establishments; be it private or government
owned. Interestingly, the Innovative Science Research Foundation (ISREF) opines that periodic
comparative investigations on patient’s illnesses along the lines listed above would definitely improve laboratory diagnosis and patient’s management/ therapeutic
strategies. ISREF also challenges research ethical committees to encourage protocol submission
for approval and be more proactive when protocols are submitted to the committee by scientists.

Anthonio Research Publications
therefore, encourages all health workers directly involved in
patients management to publish any rare observations as “case reports” or “communication/letter” in any of these journals endorsed by the Innovative Science Research Foundation (ISREF):
IJBAIR,
IJHPR and
IJCR.

Such articles can be submitted via e-mail:
anthoservpub@yahoo.com or
info@arpjournals.com
or journals@arpjournals.com , and can be accessed at
www.arpjournals.com ;
www.anrescentpub.com