LabTalk with Isaac

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LabTalk with Isaac Biomedical Scientist | Lab Educator 🧪

I simplify laboratory science, blood results, and medical concepts to make learning easy for students and professionals.

Follow to master the lab with Isaac Nkhoma.

17/10/2026

What does a Consultant Medical Laboratory Scientist do?

Last week, we lost a young man. He was a boy, really, with a whole life ahead of him. And what makes it hurt more is tha...
17/10/2026

Last week, we lost a young man. He was a boy, really, with a whole life ahead of him. And what makes it hurt more is that it did not have to happen.
It started with something small. A sore, some discomfort, a symptom that didn’t feel right. He didn’t tell anyone. He didn’t go to the hospital. Maybe he was embarrassed. Maybe he hoped it would go away on its own. Maybe he was scared of what the doctor would say.
Four months passed. The infection kept going quietly, and by the time he finally walked into the hospital, the damage to his body was already severe. The tissue of his private part had been destroyed. The doctors did everything they could, but it was too late. Three months later, he died.
Think about that. Seven months from a symptom he ignored to a funeral his family never expected.
Here is what I want you to carry away from this: syphilis is curable. Caught early, it can be treated with a simple course of antibiotics. The same goes for many other STIs. What makes them dangerous is not the infection itself, it’s the silence, the shame, and the waiting.
So please hear me.
If you notice a sore, a rash, a discharge, pain when passing urine, itching, swelling, or anything unusual in your private parts, do not wait. Don’t hide it. Don’t try herbs and leftovers from a friend’s cupboard. Don’t wait for it to “go away.” Go to the clinic. Get tested. Get treated.
Going to the hospital is not a sign of weakness or shame. It is a sign that you respect your life. The nurse and the doctor have seen it all, and they are there to help you, not to judge you.
And if you have a brother, a friend, or a son who you suspect is hiding something, be the person he can talk to. Sometimes one kind conversation is all it takes to get someone through the hospital door.
Let this young man’s story save someone today. Share it with someone who needs to read it.
Have you or someone you know ever delayed going to the hospital out of fear or shame? What do you think keeps people from getting tested? Tell me in the comments.

17/10/2026

A man starts ARVs and TB treatment. Two weeks later his fever and swollen glands come back, worse than before. 😰
Treatment failure, drug reaction, or something else? What do you suspect? Clinicians, nurses and pharmacists let’s gather here

17/10/2026

A 28-year-old HIV-positive woman has a cough, fever and night sweats. GeneXpert : NEGATIVE. 🫁
Does she still have TB? Which test would you request, and why is she high risk?
Drop your answers 👇

17/10/2026

Urea vs Creatinine—Which one is the better kidney marker and why?

Today I received a patient, a male in his 60s, who came in complaining of swelling around the eyes and ankles, foamy uri...
17/10/2026

Today I received a patient, a male in his 60s, who came in complaining of swelling around the eyes and ankles, foamy urine, passing much less urine than usual for the past week and tiredness.
Serum chemistry results 👇 :
• Urea: 18.54 mmol/L (Ref: 1.7-8.3) ⬆️ High
• Creatinine: 353.2 µmol/L (Ref: 44-123) ⬆️ High

Urinalysis results 👇 :
• Appearance: Slightly cloudy, dark yellow
• Specific gravity: 1.010 (fixed)
• pH: 6.0
• Protein: ++ (2+)
• Blood: + (1+)
• Glucose: Negative
• Nitrite: Negative
• Leukocytes: Negative
• Microscopy: Few RBCs, granular casts seen

Is this acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease? And what ONE question to the patient or ONE follow-up test would help you tell the difference?
Drop your answer in the comments 👇 I’ll reveal the discussion tomorrow.

Something that genuinely encourages me about biomedical science is how a single finger-prick of blood can tell a whole s...
17/10/2026

Something that genuinely encourages me about biomedical science is how a single finger-prick of blood can tell a whole story.
A tiny sample, just a few drops, can reveal malaria parasites under a microscope, show anaemia through haemoglobin levels, flag infection through white cell counts, or catch diabetes early through glucose. Behind every one of those results is a scientist who knew what to look for and how to read it accurately.
What makes this encouraging is that early, accurate diagnosis changes outcomes. Most treatment decisions in medicine, roughly seven in ten by commonly cited estimates, rely on laboratory results. The lab is often invisible to patients, but it quietly guides the doctor’s hand. That means every careful slide, every properly labelled sample, and every quality-controlled test is a form of care.
And in a country like Zambia, where access to timely diagnostics can be the difference between catching something early and catching it too late, that work matters even more. Biomedical scientists are the bridge between a symptom and an answer.
So as you wrap up the week: whether you were tutoring, creating content, or working in the lab, you’re part of that chain. Good science, explained clearly, saves lives. 🔬​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Isaac | Biomedical Scientist

🔬 LAB CASE CHALLENGE….A 95-year-old man lives far from the hospital. His veins are fragile and the blood draw took sever...
17/10/2026

🔬 LAB CASE CHALLENGE….
A 95-year-old man lives far from the hospital. His veins are fragile and the blood draw took several attempts. The sample finally reached the lab and went on the analyser.
The FBC is attached in the picture below
I looked at the results histogram and sees the curve climbing at the right end instead of dropping back to baseline especially for platelets . 👀
The patient is 95 and lives far away, so recollection of the sample is not easy. As a biomedical scientist would you release the results or there is something that you have to do ?
💬 Comment your answer and explain why👇👇👇

17/10/2026

When you have no samples but Lusaka mayor everywhere

17/10/2026

What is the difference between a biomedical scientist and a medical Laboratory scientist?

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