Renowned for its clear writing style, organization, level and depth of content, and excellent color illustrations, this reference covers the collection and analysis of urine, fecal specimens, vaginal secretions, and other body fluids such as cerebrospinal, synovial, seminal, amniotic, pleural, pericardial, and peritoneal fluids. It covers all aspects of fluid analysis from basic factual information and essential techniques and procedures, to easy-to-grasp explanations of how data is correlated with the basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology to understand pathologic processes. * More than 120 photomicrographs are pictured beside their textual explanations to ensure maximum comprehension and understanding. * Extensive diagrams and tables throughout the text clarify concepts and reinforce content. * Discussion of each body fluid includes the physiology of formation, its composition, diagnostic importance, and the clinical procedures frequently performed. * Various pedagogical elements such as chapter outlines, learning objectives, key terms, case studies, and study questions reinforce the most important information in each chapter. * The chapter on Quality Assurance and Safety (Chapter 2) focuses on the importance of following established lab protocols and guidelines in the clinical lab. * A glossary of scientific terms appears in the back of the book for convenient reference to succinct, accurate definitions.