Bridging the gap between the clinical laboratory and medical management by relating pathophysiology to analytical results in health and disease, this classic resource provides the guidance necessary to select, perform, and evaluate the results of new and established laboratory tests. Its up-to-date, encyclopedic coverage of the field defines analytical criteria for the medical usefulness of laboratory procedures, introduces new approaches for establishing reference ranges, describes variables that affect tests and results, examines modern analytical tools and their impact on lab management and costs, and demonstrates the applications of statistical methods. All three editors are well known in the clinical chemistry world, and they bring a wealth of expertise to this reference.Encompasses the tremendous strides made in clinical laboratory medicine in recent years -- keeping readers completely up to date.More than 1,300 tables and figures illustrate key issues in clinical chemistry.A comprehensive chapter containing tables of reference values provides one location for comparing and evaluating test results.A section has been added that contains 8 new chapters that focus on emerging issues and techniques in molecular diagnostics and genetics.Several new contributing authors provide an authoritative look at laboratory medicine, with special attention to the field of molecular technology.