Primary laboratory medicine

A list of laboratory tests which should be available in a primary care facility is presented. The primary physician should be able to perform or obtain reports of blood smears, urinalysis, hematocrit, white blood counts, sedimentation and prothrombin information during the patient's visit. In general, those tests that are not practical to perform include those that are seldom used, that require extended time for performance, that are complicated and require special technical skills and that demand expensive and elaborate equipment and unstable expensive reagents. Equipment recommended for a primary laboratory is also listed. Tests to be run on each individual patient should be selected carefully because of the cost factor as there are limited financial resources for health care delivery.