CQUniversity Unit Profile

BMSC12010 - Clinical Biochemistry

Save or Print as PDF

All details in this unit profile for BMSC12010 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.

General Information

Overview

This unit provides you with an understanding of the role of the clinical biochemistry laboratory in the diagnosis and management of human diseases and disorders. The unit focuses on quality control in the pathology laboratory setting, the biochemical rationale for the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of blood electrolyte balance, blood gases, blood acid-base balance, hormones, diabetes mellitus, jaundice, cardiac and liver disease, gout, inherited metabolic disorders, renal dysfunction and malignant diseases. You will be instructed on correct procedures for preparing blood and urine samples for analysis, and for interpreting results in a clinical biochemistry laboratory.

Details

Career Level: Undergraduate

Unit Level: Level 2

Credit Points: 6

Student Contribution Band: 8

Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Pre-requisites BMSC11004 Introductory Biochemistry OR BMSC11005 Foundations of Biochemistry

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 3 - 2024

Mixed Mode

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Website

This unit has a website, within the Moodle system, which is available two weeks before the start of term. It is important that you visit your Moodle site throughout the term. Please visit Moodle for more information.

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Regional Campuses

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville

Metropolitan Campuses

Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Written Assessment

Weighting: 25%

2. Practical and Written Assessment

Weighting: 25%

3. Examination

Weighting: 50%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

CQUniversity Policies

All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.

You may wish to view these policies:

Grades and Results Policy
Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
Review of Grade Procedure
Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure

This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Direct student communication, SUTE

Feedback

Student feedback reflected an increased face to face delivery/tutorial component.

Recommendation

Consider additional face to face components for the tutorials

Feedback from SUTE; Unit Coordinator

Feedback

The unit content includes a core foundation that can reasonably be maintained, however some modules are now outdated due to the changing body of knowledge underpinning the diagnosis and treatment of various pathophysiologies.

Recommendation

Continue to update course content to mantain currency

Unit Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

Describe basic cell signalling, communication and metabolism (breakdown of proteins, fats and carbohydrates under aerobic conditions)
Recall, classify and evaluate significant pathological conditions which occur in the human body and their respective biochemical tests and assays
Recall and describe the major functions of a clinical pathology laboratory
Demonstrate competency in biochemical laboratory methods, test and techniques
Evaluate the scientific literature and communicate this knowledge and understanding via scientific writing tasks such as practical reports and case study problem based learning assessment items.

Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes

N/A Level

Introductory Level

Intermediate Level

Graduate Level

Professional Level

Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks	Learning Outcomes
	1	2	3	4	5
1 - Written Assessment - 25%
2 - Practical and Written Assessment - 25%
3 - Examination - 50%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes	Learning Outcomes
	1	2	3	4	5
1 - Communication
2 - Problem Solving
3 - Critical Thinking
4 - Information Literacy
5 - Team Work
6 - Information Technology Competence
7 - Cross Cultural Competence
8 - Ethical practice
9 - Social Innovation
10 - First Nations Knowledges
11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

CLINICAL CHEMISTRY

8th edition (2017)
Authors: Bishop, Fody and Schoeff
Jones & Bartlett Learning (now BPS)
Philadelphia Philadelphia , PA , USA
ISBN: 9781496335586
Binding: Hardcover

Prescribed

MEDICAL BIOCHEMISTRY

5th edition (2018)
Authors: Baynes and Dominiczak
Saunders Elsevier
Philadelphia Philadelphia , PA , USA
ISBN: 978-0-7020-7299-4
Binding: Paperback

View textbooks at the CQUniversity Bookshop

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:

CQUniversity Student Email
Internet
Unit Website (Moodle)

Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:

American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
Vancouver

PowerPoint lecture notes with references (provided in the unit Moodle site)

Baynes 4th Ed Ch 19 & 31; 5th Ed Ch 15 & 16

Bishop 8th Ed Ch 12

Events and Submissions/Topic

Lecture content pre-recorded. Weekly "in class" tutorial.

Week 4

Begin Date: 25 Nov 2024

Module/Topic

Carbohydrates during health and disease, diabetes and Lipids

Chapter

PowerPoint lecture notes with references (provided in the unit Moodle site)

Baynes 4th Ed Ch 17, 18 & 21; 5th Ed Ch 31, 32 & 33

Bishop 8th Ed Ch 14 & 15

Events and Submissions/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Term Specific Information

Your teaching team for 2024 

Your unit coordinator is Dr Andrew Fenning together with a team of laboratory and postgraduate support staff who will be managing the different components of the unit. You can contact the teaching team using the forum on the unit's Moodle site, via phone (07 4923 2568) or email (a.fenning@cqu.edu.au). 

 The unit BMSC12010 Clinical Biochemistry fits into your course as a direct follow-on to BMSC11005 (Foundations of Biochemistry) and provides important scaffolding to second and third level (advanced) units such as Advanced Clinical Biochemistry, Immunology and Pharmacology. The unit also synthesises important elements covered in your other 1st and 2nd level units such as Measurement and Evaluation, Anatomy and Physiology, Pathophysiology and Cardiorespiratory - so don't forget what you have already studied! BMSC12010 is a core unit in several courses, including:
• Bachelor of Medical Science Specialisation (CG93)
• Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science Honours (CL10)
• Bachelor of Medical Science Pathway to Medicine (CM17)
• Bachelor of Paramedic Sciences (CG95) - teach out for this unit
• Bachelor of Science (CU18)

 Delivery and study commitment This unit has all of the lecture content presented over the first 8 weeks of the unit schedule/unit Moodle site but these are arranged as themed modules rather than weeks. These 8 modules of content delivery will have an associated recorded ECHO360 lecture (and PowerPoint file) and be available from Moodle live of the term delivered in a module/weekly fashion typically of 2.5-3 hours in length. The PowerPoint file and lecture content are the primary delivery medium for this unit and will be where the final examination questions are drawn from. The final 4 weeks of the unit schedule have no lecture content delivery - this has been intentionally left free to allow for consolidation and self managed/directed study and completion of any remaining assessment items. As the final invigilated examination forms an integral component of your tasks during the term, you should use this time to prepare for this item. You still have the same amount of content/contact time as other units - it has just been designed and delivered in a topic format of 8 weeks x 3 hours rather than 12 weeks x 2 hours. This Unit has a tutorial scheduled for Monday 10-11am, however this is to be confirmed and may change. Previous tutorial recordings will be made available. 

As with other Units - the design is such that students are expected to spend on average 10-12.5 hours per week (150 hours total) on associated study activities for this Unit. As a rough "time budget estimate" the approximate guide for your study per assessment is as follows:
• Assessment item 1 Case study - 20 hours
• Assessment item 2 Practical report - 30 hours
• Assessment item 3 Examination - 100 hours

150 hours total 

If you consider the lecture content and other activities will total approximately 40 hours, your own study needs to account for the rest (110 hours). Assessment items 1 and 2 have elements which are "time on task" activities to also contribute to the module content and hence the generic content study for this Unit. Use these details as a guide because your study journey and requirements are unique (some students may require less or more hours than suggested to pass).

Practical/Residential School information - important information

• If you are enrolled in the Medical Science (CG93), Medical Laboratory Science (CL10), Pathway to Medicine (CM17) or Science (CU18) courses it is a course level learning and skill requirement for compulsory attendance of the laboratory residential school.
• If you are enrolled in the Paramedic Science (CG95) course, it is not compulsory for your course learning outcomes to attend the residential school (you can still attend if you wish however consider your study load).  

Regardless of the course you are enrolled in you will still need to complete the assessment item. We will use actual collected data from the residential school classes to complete the practical written assessment item. For those students needing to complete the residential school, it is scheduled Week 4 Saturday-Sunday 30/11/2024-01/12/2024 (Rockhampton).

 Brief assessment overview and tips

• Assessment item 1 Case study - Dr House styled case study diagnosis covering directed study on important clinical biochemical markers, communication and written expression, synthesis and problem solving and scientific writing/literature appraisal
• Assessment item 2 Practical report - a mini journal article based on the laboratory data collected during the residential schools covering scientific writing and communication, problem solving, data analysis, basic statistical analysis and critical appraisal of the results and literature
• Assessment item 3 Examination - content knowledge and problem solving

Make sure you cite correctly and gather sufficient reference materials for the written assessment items and proofread your documents well - these were common features which translated to a less than optimal grade in previous offerings of the Unit.

Assessment Tasks

1 Written Assessment

Assessment Title

Written Assessment - Clinical Case Study

Task Description

In your future profession, you will likely be working in an environment that focuses on the testing, diagnosis and treatment of human disease. The clinical biochemistry laboratory ensures an accurate diagnosis is developed to help inform the appropriate clinical management of the patient. This task is a little bit of basic clinical biochemistry and a pinch of clinical diagnosis/medical detective work in a case study format. For those of you familiar with the TV series “House M.D.” this is your opportunity to be a “Dr House”. The task will hopefully provide some “time on task” focussed learning on several important sections of clinical biochemistry. This assessment task covers elements of unit learning outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 5.

Our Patient

Joe Blake is a 20 year old male who has presented to his GP, Dr Magoo, complaining of a range of symptoms making him feel rather poorly. Joe feels fatigued, his joints are swollen and ache, he's always catching colds and has the occasional fever, has a skin rash on his face with red patches, feels like his chest is sore, gets headaches, sometimes is confused with memory problems and has hair loss. Joe also indicates that he has started feeling a sharp pain (with some swelling and redness) at the back of his left leg near the calf area and is having trouble walking. Dr Magoo clearly needs your help with this patient. He started by using Google and Wikipedia (not good) and progressed to ordering some tests and clinical measurements (better). In the initial round of testing he has missed some important clinically relevant indicators! You should explore several possibilities.

Joe may have more than one cause for his symptoms with several possibilities. Your task has two parts:

• Discuss each biometric/biochemical marker provided under the “clinical measurements” heading below and indicate if a value is outside the typical reference range and what an elevated or decreased reading for each of these markers could indicate (2000 words)
• Diagnose Joe's symptoms (combining the “clinical measurements” and patient description) and provide a recommendation on what further tests you would require to confirm your diagnosis if any. You will need to explain your reasoning and your answer will require at least 7-10 primary references (original journal articles) (1500 words)

Total 3500 words

Clinical measurements
• BUN - 32mg/dL (7-20)
• Serum creatinine - 1.7 mg/dL (0.7-1.3)
• Haemoglobin - 120 g/L (135-180)
• ESR - 80mm/hr (0-15)
• Plasma thrombin time - 7 sec (10-15)
• CRP - 6.5 mg/dL (0.3-1.0)
• MCV - 72 fL (84-99)
• MCHC - 25 g/dL (30-36)
• Fibrin D-dimer - positive 1.8 mg/L (>0.5)
• ANA - positive

Where to start/structure?
A suggested layout is as follows -

Part 1 (2000 words)
• brief introduction paragraph to the assignment and scenario
• dedicate a paragraph to each of the “clinical measurements” and use textbook referenced content to examine the diagnostic importance of the measurements and what an elevated or decreased reading for each of these markers could indicate

Part 2 (1500 words)
• written assignment/review format in paragraphs
• combine the “clinical measurements” and patient symptoms/description to form a rational and supported diagnosis using primary reference material (7-10 journal articles)
• clearly state and articulate your diagnosis
• conclude this section and the assignment with suggestions for Dr Magoo on further testing to correctly confirm Joe’s diagnosis and typical treatments for this condition

Assessment Due Date

Week 4 Thursday (28 Nov 2024) 11:55 pm AEST

Return Date to Students

Week 6 Thursday (12 Dec 2024)

Weighting

25%

Minimum mark or grade

50%

Assessment Criteria

The case study questions will be out of a total of 50 marks (3500 word limit). You should consider the following points when developing your assessment task:

• clarity of expression (spelling and grammar)

• the inclusion of key facts, accurate up-to-date research (i.e. in the last ten years - where appropriate)

• correct referencing

• use of clear and appropriate diagrams

The use of information contained solely within the study or lecture notes will result in the awarding of a passing grade at best. In order to obtain higher marks, information from other sources will be required. Students who use relevant information from other sources in their assignments will be looked upon favourably. The failure to cite references in your assignment will result in your not achieving full value for your efforts. Those students, who plagiarise material from textbooks, internet sites or other student's work will be subject to the standard plagiarism procedures in operation at CQUniversity (remember that such plagiarism will easily be detected using Turnitin). Please refer to the CQUniversity Library website for correct referencing information. Further details will be available in the Assessment block for this item in the unit Moodle site. Total = 50 marks (3500 words) (to achieve full marks, aim for the following) -

Part 1 (25 marks) (2000 words)

• correct clinical description of the "Clinical measurements" provided, indicating what a decreased or increased level of each would indicate (one paragraph for each); correctly referenced from either textbook or primary reference material (journal articles); correctly written paragraphs (20 marks)

• correctly written and proofed (5 marks)

Part 2 (25 marks) (1500 words)

• demonstrated scientific review format with a supported clinical diagnosis (primary reference articles) (15 marks)

• referencing (contextual use of 7-10 journal articles) (5 marks)

• written expression and proofing (5 marks)

Referencing Style

American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
Vancouver

Submission

Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed

Describe basic cell signalling, communication and metabolism (breakdown of proteins, fats and carbohydrates under aerobic conditions)
Recall, classify and evaluate significant pathological conditions which occur in the human body and their respective biochemical tests and assays
Recall and describe the major functions of a clinical pathology laboratory
Evaluate the scientific literature and communicate this knowledge and understanding via scientific writing tasks such as practical reports and case study problem based learning assessment items.

2 Practical and Written Assessment

Assessment Title

Practical and Written Assessment

Task Description

Analysis and interpretation of your experimental or treatment findings (both bench and clinical sciences) are essential features of communication in the medical sciences. The laboratory activities will use "real" collected samples and cover common elements of the clinical biochemistry testing laboratory such as glucose/diabetes testing, cardiovascular markers, liver function tests and drug screening. You will be required to write a report from your choice of selected laboratory experiments (provided to you) in basic scientific journal format (from data collected during the residential schools). Scientific journal format typically contains the following elements:

abstract
introduction
methods
results
discussion/conclusions
limitations/future directions

This task requires you to complete a similar yet abbreviated format that only requires IMRAD (introduction, methods, results and discussion/limitations). This item assess unit learning outcomes 1-5.

Assessment Due Date

Week 8 Friday (10 Jan 2025) 11:55 pm AEST

Return Date to Students

Week 11 Friday (31 Jan 2025)

Weighting

25%

Minimum mark or grade

50%

Assessment Criteria

The practical report will be evaluated in accordance with the detailed marking rubric available in the Assessment item block located in the unit's Moodle site. A brief overview of the assessment criteria are as follows:

Introduction (20 marks): The introduction should be between 700-1000 words in length and will provide the reader with sufficient information to understand why this study was performed and also provide any essential background information (with references to journal articles or text books) that is needed for interpretation of the results and discussion. It should conclude with a specific aim of the study. As a general guide—approximately 3–6 paragraphs with important and interesting background information that has been correctly referenced.

Methods (10 marks): There is no need to completely rewrite the methods section in detail. This section should be a brief summary approximately 1-2 paragraphs in length (100-200 words).

Results (20 marks): This section should contain the experimental results in summary form (means/SD), presented in either tables or graphs, not both. It is not enough just to use tables and graphs—you must also state the results referring to the table or figure. All tables and figures must be labelled appropriately. There should be no interpretation of results in this section—just state the results observed! Leave any interpretation to the discussion (300-400 words).

Discussion (20 marks): This section should be between 700-1000 words in length and will provide an analysis and interpretation of the results of the study. The implication of your results should be discussed, referring back to statements made in your introduction. Alternative explanations should be offered if necessary especially for negative or unexpected results. Errors could also be discussed.

References (5 marks): All articles or texts referred to in the report need to be listed in this section. Referencing style should follow either the “Vancouver" or "APA” style as listed in the unit profile.

Writing Style/Presentation (25 marks): Reports should be clearly written in full sentences (not point form) using correct spelling and grammar. Abbreviations should be explained when first used. Any diagram (added from reference material) must be of good quality and sources must be acknowledged appropriately. The use of scientific writing style is important—peruse scientific journal entries. Of particular importance is clarity of written expression (clearly stated ideas and outcomes). The document should be in scientific journal format with well designed figures, graphs and tables where appropriate.

Clarity of expression (spelling and grammar), the inclusion of key facts, accurate research, correct referencing, and clear diagrams will be important general criteria for performing well in this assessment item (see the associated Assessment item block in the unit Moodle site). The use of information contained solely within the study notes/practical support information will result in the awarding of a passing grade at best. In order to obtain higher marks information from other sources will be required. Students who use relevant information from other sources in their reports will be successful. As a guide, between 8 to 10 journal articles should be used! The failure to cite references in your assignments will result in you not achieving full value for your efforts.

Referencing Style

American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
Vancouver

Submission

Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed

Describe basic cell signalling, communication and metabolism (breakdown of proteins, fats and carbohydrates under aerobic conditions)
Recall, classify and evaluate significant pathological conditions which occur in the human body and their respective biochemical tests and assays
Recall and describe the major functions of a clinical pathology laboratory
Demonstrate competency in biochemical laboratory methods, test and techniques
Evaluate the scientific literature and communicate this knowledge and understanding via scientific writing tasks such as practical reports and case study problem based learning assessment items.

Examination

Outline

Complete an invigilated examination

Date

During the examination period at a CQUniversity examination centre

Weighting

50%

Length

180 minutes

Minimum mark or grade

50%

Exam Conditions

Closed Book

Materials

Dictionary - non-electronic, concise, direct translation only (dictionary must not contain any notes or comments).

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.