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MD · Biochemistry

Biochemistry thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for each

A biochemistry thesis is limited by the analyser and the kit budget rather than by the number of patients, so the first thing to settle is which parameters the laboratory already runs on a funded reagent and which would need a purchase the department has not sanctioned. Samples usually come from patients being investigated anyway, which makes a waiver of consent for leftover sample work a reasonable request, but a study that draws an extra tube needs consent like any other. Examiners press on quality control and on the pre-analytical step: which analyser, which method principle, what the internal control showed on the day, and how the sample reached the laboratory.

Topic register · 42 entries · 7 designs[6]

Read the registerBiochemistry thesis help
  • NMC PGMER-2023
  • NBEMS 180 days / 26 months
  • UGC 2018 · under 10%
  • ICMR 2017 · ethics

The register

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The Biochemistry register

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Filter by design or by feasibility, or search the titles and outcomes. Filtering only hides entries: every topic stays on the page, so nothing is lost if you clear the filters or arrive by a deep link.

Feasibility in a teaching unit

Showing 42 of 42 topics

The sample figure on each plate is a planning range read off the design, not a calculated answer. Your own number comes from a calculation against your own assumptions — the difference you would call clinically meaningful, the variability in your setting, the power you want — and it belongs in the synopsis with those assumptions written beside it.

  • Topic 01 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Serum uric acid and its relation to the components of the metabolic syndrome in adults attending a medicine outpatient clinic

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Correlation of serum uric acid with waist circumference, fasting glucose, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and blood pressure
    Collection time
    9 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 150 to 250 participants, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Uricase-based uric acid and a routine lipid panel on a calibrated analyser
    • A standard measuring tape and a trained observer for waist circumference
    • A medicine OPD that will route fasting samples with the anthropometry recorded

    What derails it

    Diuretics and a purine-rich meal the previous evening both shift uric acid, so record current drugs and the actual fasting hours, because an unexplained spread will otherwise swallow any association.

  • Topic 02 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Comparison of HbA1c measured by two analytical methods in the same blood samples

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Mean difference and limits of agreement between the two methods, with the proportion of samples crossing a diagnostic decision threshold
    Collection time
    9 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 120 to 200 paired samples, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Both methods available in-house, or a written arrangement with a second laboratory
    • Samples split and stored to a stated protocol before analysis
    • Internal quality control run on both methods on every analysis day
    • A waiver of consent for the use of leftover samples, or consent where an additional tube is drawn

    What derails it

    Haemoglobin variants and uraemia interfere with some HbA1c methods and not others, so record haemoglobin electrophoresis status or at least anaemia and renal function, otherwise the outliers that drive your limits of agreement will be unexplainable.

  • Topic 03 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Serum vitamin B12 and its relation to dietary pattern and haematological indices in apparently healthy adults

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Serum vitamin B12 concentration and its correlation with mean corpuscular volume and haemoglobin, by recorded dietary pattern
    Collection time
    9 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 150 to 250 participants, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A chemiluminescence or comparable immunoassay platform with B12 reagent sanctioned
    • A validated dietary pattern questionnaire administered by one person
    • Ethics approval and consent, since apparently healthy participants are being sampled

    What derails it

    Participants who have taken a B complex tablet or an injection in the previous months will read high, and many have, so ask specifically about injections and supplements rather than accepting a general no to medication.

  • Topic 04 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and its relation to serum calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase in adults presenting with musculoskeletal pain

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Correlation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D with corrected calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 150 to 250 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A 25-hydroxyvitamin D assay with sanctioned reagent, since the cost per test is high
    • An orthopaedic or medicine OPD referring patients with a recorded complaint
    • Season of sampling recorded for every participant

    What derails it

    Vitamin D levels move with the season and with sun exposure, so collect across at least three seasons or restrict to one and say so, because a study run entirely in winter answers a different question from one run in May.

  • Topic 05 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Serum cystatin C compared with serum creatinine for identifying reduced glomerular filtration rate, with measured creatinine clearance from a timed urine collection as the reference standard

    DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Sensitivity and specificity of each marker for a measured creatinine clearance below the chosen threshold
    Collection time
    15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 100 to 160 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Cystatin C reagent, which is expensive and must be sanctioned before the synopsis
    • An enzymatic creatinine method with traceable calibration
    • A nephrology unit where a timed urine collection is practicable for every participant
    • A written definition of an acceptable collection, with the volume and duration recorded for each

    What derails it

    An incomplete twenty-four hour urine collection makes the reference standard wrong rather than merely noisy, so state how completeness was judged and report how many collections you discarded, because a study that quietly keeps the bad ones is comparing two markers against nothing.

  • Topic 06 / 42

    Link to this entry

    HbA1c for the detection of diabetes in at-risk adults, with the oral glucose tolerance test as the reference standard

    DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Sensitivity and specificity of HbA1c at the accepted diagnostic threshold against the oral glucose tolerance test
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 200 to 350 participants, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Glucose measured on a calibrated analyser with fluoride tubes
    • An HbA1c method with documented traceability
    • A screening clinic or camp where participants will stay for the two-hour sample

    What derails it

    Participants leave before the two-hour sample in large numbers, so the glucose tolerance test has to be done where they are already waiting, and every incomplete test must be counted rather than quietly dropped.

  • Topic 07 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Serum lipid profile in newly detected hypothyroidism compared with euthyroid controls

    DesignCase-controlFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Difference in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides between the groups
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 60 to 100 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Thyroid function testing on an immunoassay platform in routine use
    • A lipid panel with fasting samples
    • A source of euthyroid controls matched for age and sex, recruited with consent

    What derails it

    Newly detected means before treatment, and many patients reach the biochemistry laboratory already on thyroxine from a previous prescription, so verify treatment status from the patient and not from the requisition.

  • Topic 08 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Serum malondialdehyde and total antioxidant capacity in type 2 diabetes compared with age-matched non-diabetic participants

    DesignCase-controlFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Difference in malondialdehyde and total antioxidant capacity between the groups, and their correlation with HbA1c in the diabetic group
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 50 to 80 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A spectrophotometer with a stable lamp and a trained hand for the manual assay
    • Reagents for the chosen method, prepared fresh to a written protocol
    • Minus twenty or lower storage for samples analysed in batches

    What derails it

    Malondialdehyde rises in stored serum and with every freeze-thaw, so fix the storage temperature, the maximum storage period and a no-refreeze rule, and record the storage days for every sample.

  • Topic 09 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Fasting insulin and insulin resistance indices in women with polycystic ovary syndrome compared with controls

    DesignCase-controlFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Difference in fasting insulin and the calculated insulin resistance index between groups
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 50 to 80 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • An insulin immunoassay with sanctioned reagent and a documented calibration curve
    • A gynaecology clinic diagnosing the syndrome by stated criteria
    • Fasting samples collected at a fixed time of the morning

    What derails it

    Insulin is unstable at room temperature and haemolysed samples cannot be used, so the sample must be separated within the stated time and every haemolysed tube rejected and recorded, not run anyway.

  • Topic 10 / 42

    Link to this entry

    High sensitivity C-reactive protein at admission in acute coronary syndrome and its relation to the in-hospital course

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Relation of the admission high sensitivity C-reactive protein concentration to a composite of arrhythmia, heart failure and length of stay
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 100 to 160 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A high sensitivity C-reactive protein method, not the routine qualitative test
    • A cardiology or medicine unit where the admission sample can be secured before treatment
    • Access to the inpatient record for the composite outcome

    What derails it

    The admission sample is the whole study and it is the one most easily missed at three in the morning, so the ward team must have labelled tubes and a written instruction, or your earliest samples will all be from daytime admissions.

  • Topic 11 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Serum magnesium at admission in critically ill patients and its relation to the clinical course recorded during the stay

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Relation of admission serum magnesium to a composite of ventilation requirement, vasopressor use and length of intensive care stay
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 120 to 200 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A magnesium method on the routine analyser with current quality control
    • An intensive care unit that will allow an admission sample to be taken with the routine panel
    • A record of magnesium-containing drugs and infusions given

    What derails it

    Patients who have received magnesium sulphate in casualty or in obstetrics will have levels reflecting the drug, so record every infusion given before the sample, because these are exactly the cases that look like outliers.

  • Topic 12 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Urinary albumin-creatinine ratio in adults with newly diagnosed hypertension and its relation to blood pressure at presentation

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Proportion with an albumin-creatinine ratio above the accepted threshold, and its correlation with systolic and diastolic pressure
    Collection time
    9 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 150 to 250 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • An immunoturbidimetric albumin method for urine on the routine analyser
    • A spot urine collection protocol, stating which void is used
    • Blood pressure measured to a written protocol with a validated device

    What derails it

    A urine sample taken after a long walk to the hospital or during a fever will show transient albuminuria, so record recent exertion, fever and urinary infection and exclude on those grounds rather than explaining the spread later.

  • Topic 13 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Serum ferritin and its relation to haemoglobin and red cell indices in children with anaemia

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Correlation of serum ferritin with haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume and red cell distribution width
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 120 to 200 children, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A ferritin immunoassay with sanctioned reagent
    • A paediatric clinic routing samples with the haemogram on the same draw
    • Parental consent and the child's assent for the extra tube where one is needed

    What derails it

    Ferritin rises with any intercurrent infection, and children attending a paediatric OPD usually have one, so record temperature and a marker of inflammation, because otherwise iron deficiency in an infected child is invisible.

  • Topic 14 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Pattern of serum aminotransferases and gamma glutamyl transferase in patients admitted with alcohol-related liver disease

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Distribution of the aminotransferase ratio and gamma glutamyl transferase concentration by the clinical category recorded at admission
    Collection time
    9 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 120 to 200 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Routine liver panel with current internal quality control
    • A medicine or gastroenterology unit with a defined clinical categorisation
    • A drinking history taken to a structured format

    What derails it

    Drinking history given at admission is routinely understated and the date of the last drink matters most for these enzymes, so ask for that date specifically and record who gave the history.

  • Topic 15 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Establishing laboratory reference intervals for selected biochemical analytes in a local apparently healthy adult population

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Central ninety-five percent reference interval for each analyte, with the partitioning by sex examined
    Collection time
    15 to 18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 120 to 200 healthy participants per partition, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A defined and documented health screening procedure for excluding participants
    • Stable analyser performance through the collection period, with documented calibration
    • Ethics approval and consent, since healthy volunteers are being bled for no clinical benefit

    What derails it

    Reference interval work needs a large number of genuinely healthy people per partition and the guideline minimum is higher than residents expect, so either accept a verification study against the manufacturer's interval or secure the numbers before you begin.

  • Topic 16 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Analytical performance of routine clinical chemistry assays expressed as sigma metrics using internal quality control and proficiency testing data

    DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Sigma metric for each analyte computed from the observed imprecision, bias and the allowable total error chosen
    Collection time
    4 to 6 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 6 to 12 months of daily internal quality control data per analyte, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Archived internal quality control records with lot and level recorded
    • External quality assurance scheme reports for the same period
    • A stated source for the allowable total error used
    • Permission from the laboratory in charge to use archived quality control and proficiency testing data

    What derails it

    Sigma metrics change entirely with the allowable total error you choose, so name the source and apply it consistently, because mixing biological variation-based and regulatory limits across analytes makes the comparison meaningless.

  • Topic 17 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Pre-analytical sample rejection in a clinical biochemistry laboratory and the reasons recorded

    DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Rejection rate per thousand samples with the distribution of documented reasons, by collecting area
    Collection time
    3 to 5 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 10000 to 20000 sample entries over the audit period, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A rejection register or laboratory information system entries with reason codes
    • Sample counts by ward or collection point for the same period
    • Permission from the laboratory in charge

    What derails it

    Rejections are often resolved by a phone call and a repeat sample without an entry ever being made, so cross-check a sample of days against the repeat requests, or you will report a rejection rate far below what actually happens.

  • Topic 18 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Turnaround time for emergency biochemistry requests and the step at which delay occurs

    DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Median turnaround time from collection to report availability, split into transport, analysis and reporting intervals
    Collection time
    3 to 5 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 1000 to 2000 emergency requests, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Time stamps at collection, receipt and report release
    • A definition of emergency requests agreed with the casualty and laboratory
    • Laboratory information system extracts or a complete manual register
    • Permission from the laboratory in charge and a waiver of consent for record review

    What derails it

    Collection time is usually written by hand and often copied from the request rather than the clock, so validate a subset against the casualty register before treating the transport interval as real.

  • Topic 19 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Capillary blood glucose measured on a point-of-care glucometer compared with venous plasma glucose on the laboratory analyser

    DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Agreement between the two methods across the glucose range, with the proportion of readings within the accepted analytical limit
    Collection time
    6 to 9 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 150 to 250 paired samples, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Glucometers in routine ward use, with the strip lot recorded
    • Fluoride tubes and prompt separation for the plasma sample
    • Paired sampling within a stated number of minutes

    What derails it

    A venous sample drawn ten minutes after the finger prick is no longer a pair in a patient on an insulin infusion, so restrict pairing to a tight stated interval and record any glucose or insulin given between the two.

  • Topic 20 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Cerebrospinal fluid glucose, protein and lactate in suspected meningitis and their relation to the final clinical category

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Distribution of fluid glucose, the fluid to plasma glucose ratio, protein and lactate by the final clinical category of meningitis
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 100 to 160 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A lactate method validated for cerebrospinal fluid on the analyser
    • A simultaneous plasma glucose sample for every fluid sample
    • Access to the discharge diagnosis for the final category

    What derails it

    The paired plasma glucose is frequently not sent, and without it the ratio cannot be computed, so make the paired tube part of the ward instruction and record how many pairs were incomplete.

  • Topic 21 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Thyroid stimulating hormone and free thyroxine across the trimesters of pregnancy in women attending antenatal care

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Distribution of thyroid stimulating hormone and free thyroxine by trimester, with the proportion outside the trimester-specific cut-offs used by the laboratory
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 200 to 350 women across trimesters, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • An immunoassay platform with a sanctioned thyroid reagent supply
    • An antenatal clinic with gestational age confirmed by dating scan or last menstrual period
    • The laboratory's stated trimester-specific cut-offs, or the source used for them

    What derails it

    Women already on thyroxine or with a known thyroid disorder must be separated out at recruitment, because in an antenatal clinic they are numerous and they will distort every trimester distribution you report.

  • Topic 22 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Serum zinc in children with recurrent respiratory infection compared with age-matched children attending for other reasons

    DesignCase-controlFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Difference in serum zinc concentration between the groups
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 50 to 80 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Atomic absorption spectrophotometry or a validated colorimetric zinc method
    • Trace element free tubes, since ordinary tubes contaminate the sample
    • A paediatric definition of recurrent infection agreed before recruitment

    What derails it

    Ordinary collection tubes and rubber stoppers leach zinc and will raise every reading, so the protocol must name the tube type and it must actually be available in the hospital store before you start.

  • Topic 23 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Atherogenic lipid ratios in patients admitted with a first myocardial infarction and in age and sex matched controls

    DesignCase-controlFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Difference in total cholesterol to HDL and triglyceride to HDL ratios between groups
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 70 to 110 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A lipid panel run on a single analyser through the study
    • An admission sample taken within a stated number of hours of chest pain onset
    • Controls recruited with consent from an OPD attending for unrelated reasons

    What derails it

    Lipids fall in the days after an infarction, so the sample must be taken within the stated early window and the time from symptom onset recorded, otherwise late samples will look deceptively normal.

  • Topic 24 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Serum electrolytes and calcium phosphate product across stages of chronic kidney disease

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Distribution of sodium, potassium, corrected calcium, phosphate and the calcium phosphate product by stage of kidney disease
    Collection time
    9 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 150 to 250 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • An ion selective electrode module with current calibration
    • A nephrology clinic with staging already recorded
    • Albumin measured on the same sample for calcium correction

    What derails it

    Potassium rises in a sample that sat in the collection room or was drawn with a tight tourniquet and fist clenching, so record collection to separation time and reject haemolysed samples by a written rule.

  • Topic 25 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Neonatal thyroid stimulating hormone on cord or heel prick blood in a hospital newborn screening programme

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Proportion of newborns with a screening thyroid stimulating hormone above the programme cut-off, with the confirmatory test result where recalled
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 800 to 1500 newborns, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Filter paper cards or cord sampling arrangement agreed with the labour room
    • An assay validated for the sample type being used
    • A recall system with phone contact for confirmatory testing

    What derails it

    Screening is worthless without recall, and mothers discharged within a day of delivery are hard to trace, so record two contact numbers at sampling and count every baby who could not be recalled as an outcome of the programme.

  • Topic 26 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Serum protein electrophoresis patterns in patients investigated for suspected plasma cell dyscrasia

    DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Distribution of electrophoretic patterns, with the proportion showing a discrete band and the accompanying biochemical findings
    Collection time
    6 to 9 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 100 to 200 records, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Archived electrophoresis records with the scanned pattern retained, not only the report
    • A waiver of consent for record review
    • Accompanying biochemistry results retrievable for the same patients

    What derails it

    Old gels and scans are discarded after a year in many laboratories, so confirm what is physically retained for the period you want before writing a protocol around re-reading patterns.

  • Topic 27 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Serum amylase and lipase at presentation in patients with abdominal pain and a final diagnosis of acute pancreatitis

    DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Sensitivity and specificity of each enzyme at the laboratory cut-off against the final clinical and radiological diagnosis as the reference standard
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 150 to 250 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Both enzyme methods on the routine analyser with current controls
    • A defined reference standard combining clinical, biochemical and imaging criteria, agreed in advance
    • An emergency department that routes the first sample to the laboratory promptly

    What derails it

    If the reference standard includes the enzyme result itself, the accuracy you calculate is circular, so the adjudication must rest on clinical and imaging criteria alone and be done by someone blinded to the enzyme values.

  • Topic 28 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Plasma homocysteine in young adults with ischaemic stroke compared with age-matched controls

    DesignCase-controlFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Difference in plasma total homocysteine between groups, with vitamin B12 and folate recorded in both
    Collection time
    15 to 18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 40 to 70 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A homocysteine method with sanctioned reagent, which is a high cost item
    • Samples placed on ice and separated within the stated time
    • A neurology unit with a defined young stroke cohort

    What derails it

    Homocysteine rises in whole blood left standing, so an unrefrigerated sample taken in casualty and sent an hour later is unusable; the cold chain must be arranged before recruitment rather than hoped for.

  • Topic 29 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Non-invasive fibrosis indices calculated from routine biochemistry in chronic liver disease and their relation to clinical severity grading

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Distribution of the calculated indices and their relation to the clinical severity grade recorded by the treating unit
    Collection time
    9 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 120 to 200 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Aminotransferases, platelet count and albumin available on the same visit
    • A hepatology or medicine unit with a documented severity grade
    • A written formula source for each index used

    What derails it

    The indices need a platelet count from the same day, and in practice the haemogram is from a different visit, so define the maximum interval between the two samples and enforce it at data entry.

  • Topic 30 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Salivary glucose and its correlation with plasma glucose in adults with and without diabetes

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Correlation of salivary glucose with simultaneous plasma glucose in both groups
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 80 to 140 participants in total, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A standardised unstimulated saliva collection protocol with a stated collection time
    • A glucose method validated for the low concentrations found in saliva
    • Oral examination to exclude periodontal disease and recent food intake

    What derails it

    Saliva glucose is in a much lower range than the analyser was set up for, so the method must be validated for that range with a recovery experiment, and that validation has to be part of the protocol rather than an afterthought.

  • Topic 31 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Urinary iodine concentration in school-age children in a defined area

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Median urinary iodine concentration with the proportion below the adequacy threshold, by age group and area
    Collection time
    9 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 300 to 500 children, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A validated ammonium persulphate digestion method with a fume hood
    • Education department and school permission alongside ethics approval
    • Parental consent, child assent and a clean spot urine collection arrangement

    What derails it

    The digestion step uses hot acid and needs a working fume hood, so confirm the facility is functional and that a technician is willing to run batches, because an unserviced hood or an unwilling technician is what stops this assay halfway through.

  • Topic 32 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Total serum bilirubin by the routine diazo method compared with a direct spectrophotometric method in neonatal samples

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Mean difference and limits of agreement between the two methods, with the proportion of samples crossing the phototherapy decision threshold
    Collection time
    9 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 120 to 200 paired samples, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Both methods running with their own quality control material
    • Micro-collection tubes, since neonatal sample volume is small
    • Samples protected from light between collection and analysis
    • A waiver of consent for the use of leftover neonatal samples, or parental consent where an additional sample is taken

    What derails it

    Bilirubin falls on exposure to light and neonatal samples often sit on a bench under a tube light, so wrap tubes at collection and record the interval to analysis, because this effect is larger than the difference you are trying to measure.

  • Topic 33 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Serum procalcitonin and C-reactive protein at admission in patients with suspected sepsis and their relation to blood culture positivity

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Relation of the admission concentration of each marker to blood culture positivity and to the clinical sepsis category recorded
    Collection time
    15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 100 to 160 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Procalcitonin reagent sanctioned, since the cost per test is substantial
    • Microbiology co-operation so culture results can be linked to the biochemistry sample
    • An admission sample taken before the first antibiotic dose wherever possible

    What derails it

    Procalcitonin kits are usually run in batches to save reagent, and a batch run weeks later on a poorly stored sample is unreliable, so fix storage conditions and a maximum storage period in the protocol.

  • Topic 34 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Agreement between measured total calcium corrected for albumin and directly measured ionised calcium in hospitalised patients

    DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Agreement of albumin-corrected total calcium with measured ionised calcium as the reference, and the proportion misclassified at the decision threshold
    Collection time
    9 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 120 to 200 paired samples, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • An analyser that measures ionised calcium, with a current calibration record
    • Anaerobic sample handling for the ionised measurement
    • Albumin measured on the same sample

    What derails it

    Ionised calcium changes with sample pH, so a syringe with an air bubble or a delay before analysis makes the reference value wrong; the handling rule must be written into the protocol and the ward taught it.

  • Topic 35 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Two oral cholecalciferol regimens in adults with biochemically low vitamin D: a randomised comparison of the change in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D at eight weeks

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Change in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D from baseline to eight weeks in each arm
    Collection time
    15 to 18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 40 to 70 per arm, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A clinical co-investigator who prescribes and monitors, since a biochemistry resident cannot treat
    • Assured supply of both preparations and of the assay reagent for paired samples
    • Ethics approval and CTRI registration before the first participant is enrolled

    What derails it

    An interventional study run from a non-clinical department needs a named clinical co-investigator and a plan for managing hypercalcaemia, and the ethics committee will return the protocol without both.

  • Topic 36 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Pleural fluid adenosine deaminase and protein in exudative effusions and their relation to the final clinical diagnosis

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Distribution of fluid adenosine deaminase activity and the fluid to serum protein ratio by the final diagnostic category
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 80 to 140 samples, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • An adenosine deaminase method validated for pleural fluid with a working reagent
    • A medicine or pulmonary unit tapping effusions and recording the final diagnosis
    • Simultaneous serum for the ratio calculations

    What derails it

    The final diagnosis in many of these patients is a clinical label after a therapeutic trial, so state the diagnostic criteria you accepted and how long you followed each patient before assigning a category.

  • Topic 37 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Serum apolipoprotein A1 and apolipoprotein B concentrations and their ratio in adults with type 2 diabetes

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Distribution of the apolipoprotein B to apolipoprotein A1 ratio and its correlation with the conventional lipid panel
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 90 to 140 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Immunoturbidimetric apolipoprotein reagents, sanctioned and in stock for the whole study
    • A diabetes clinic providing fasting samples
    • Calibrators and controls for both apolipoprotein assays

    What derails it

    Apolipoprotein reagents are bought in small packs with a short open-vial stability, so plan the number of analysis days and samples per batch before purchase, or most of the kit will expire unused.

  • Topic 38 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Serum uric acid and lactate dehydrogenase in preeclampsia compared with normotensive pregnancy

    DesignCase-controlFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Difference in serum uric acid and lactate dehydrogenase between the groups at comparable gestation
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 60 to 100 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Routine uric acid and lactate dehydrogenase methods with current quality control
    • An obstetric unit applying written diagnostic criteria for preeclampsia
    • Gestational age recorded for matching

    What derails it

    Lactate dehydrogenase is raised by a haemolysed sample, and haemolysis is common in hurried labour room draws, so reject haemolysed samples by a written rule rather than accepting them because the patient has already delivered.

  • Topic 39 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Glycated haemoglobin compared with fructosamine as a measure of glycaemic control in diabetic patients on maintenance haemodialysis

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Correlation of each marker with the mean of recorded pre-dialysis capillary glucose values over the preceding weeks
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 60 to 100 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A fructosamine method with sanctioned reagent
    • A dialysis unit that records pre-dialysis capillary glucose consistently
    • Sampling at a fixed point in the dialysis schedule for every patient

    What derails it

    Glucose records in a dialysis unit are written on the session sheet and are often incomplete, so verify that at least a stated number of readings exist per patient before enrolling them, because the comparison needs that mean.

  • Topic 40 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Audit of critical result identification and communication in a clinical biochemistry laboratory

    DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Proportion of critical results with documented communication to the treating unit within the defined time limit
    Collection time
    3 to 5 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 300 to 600 critical results, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • An approved critical value list already in force
    • A communication log with time entries
    • Permission from the laboratory in charge to audit documentation

    What derails it

    The laboratory telephones the ward and writes nothing, so an audit of records measures documentation rather than practice; say so plainly and consider a short prospective window with a structured log alongside.

  • Topic 41 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Effect of fasting duration on the measured lipid profile in the same participants

    DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Difference in triglycerides, total cholesterol and calculated LDL cholesterol between samples taken after a defined shorter and longer fast in the same person
    Collection time
    9 to 12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 50 to 90 participants sampled in both states, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Participants willing to attend twice, with a stated interval between visits
    • A single analyser and one reagent lot for all samples where possible
    • Ethics approval and consent, since an additional sample is being drawn

    What derails it

    Participants report fasting and then mention tea with sugar only when asked directly, so the fasting question must be asked in specific terms at each visit and the actual reported hours recorded rather than the instruction given.

  • Topic 42 / 42

    Link to this entry

    Measured serum osmolality and the calculated osmolal gap in patients admitted with suspected alcohol or toxic alcohol ingestion

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Distribution of the osmolal gap at admission by the substance recorded in the history and the clinical course during admission
    Collection time
    15 to 18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 50 to 90 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • An osmometer in working order with a service arrangement
    • An admission sample taken before any fluid or dialysis intervention
    • A toxicology history recorded by the emergency team on a fixed proforma

    What derails it

    The osmometer is the single point of failure here, and in many departments it is an unused instrument with no calibration standards in stock, so verify that it works and that standards can be bought before you write this protocol.

The designs

What each design commits you to

The designs in this Biochemistry register

The design is not a label on the title; it decides your ethics route, your timetable and the test that answers your primary question. Only the designs that appear above are explained here.

  • Cross-sectional

    19 topics

    One contact per participant. Usually the quickest to complete, and the design most often chosen when time is short.

  • Prospective observational

    4 topics

    Participants are followed after enrolment without allocating an intervention. Ethics approval must precede the first enrolment.

  • Retrospective

    5 topics

    Existing records only. Faster, but limited by what was recorded, and a waiver of consent is normally sought from the ethics committee.

  • Comparative interventional

    1 topic

    Two or more arms compared. Ethics scrutiny is heavier, and the protocol must state how allocation is handled.

  • Randomised controlled

    1 topic

    Allocation is randomised. Prospective interventional studies are registered with the Clinical Trials Registry of India before the first participant is enrolled.

  • Diagnostic accuracy

    5 topics

    An index test measured against a reference standard. The sample size depends on the expected sensitivity or specificity and the prevalence in your setting.

  • Case-control

    7 topics

    Cases and controls compared for prior exposure. Control selection is where these are most often criticised.

What the feasibility mark means

A judgement about a typical teaching unit, not about yours. Confirm the volume, the equipment and the co-operation a topic needs before your synopsis goes in, because after that the timetable stops being negotiable[2].

  • Straightforward

    16 topics

    Achievable in most teaching units with routine caseload and no equipment beyond what is already in use.

  • Moderate

    18 topics

    Achievable, but needs either a specific piece of equipment, a collaborating department, or a caseload you should confirm before committing.

  • Demanding

    8 topics

    Only take this on if your unit already has the volume, the equipment and the co-operation it needs. Confirm all three before your synopsis goes in.

Next steps

Before you commit to one

What to do with a topic you like

Three steps, in this order. None of them is us: the first is arithmetic, the second is your guide, the third is a search only you can run.

  1. Do the arithmetic

    The figure on each plate is a planning range, not an answer. Put your own assumptions — the difference you would call clinically meaningful, the variability you expect, the power you want — into the free sample size calculator, then divide the result by the eligible patients your unit sees in a month and see whether the months you have left permit it.

  2. Take it to your guide

    Nothing on this page is approved by anybody. Your guide and your department decide what is feasible in your unit, and your ethics committee decides whether it may start — before the first participant, not before the analysis[5]. Where your university ordinance is stricter than anything here, the ordinance wins[1].

  3. Run the search yourself

    We make no claim that any question here is novel, under-studied or a gap, because that depends on a literature search run today in your own field. Read what the search returns before you write the introduction, and be ready to say why the question is worth asking in your setting.

What a thesis in this field has to satisfy — the obligations, the statistics and the questions residents ask first — is set out on the Biochemistry page. Other specialties are in the topic bank index, and the method is worked through in the guides.

Undertakings

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What protects your draft, and who owns the work

Each line below is a mechanism this platform implements or a published instrument it is built around. None of them is a guarantee, and we are affiliated with no regulator or university.

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How this works

Instruments we work to

  • NMC PGMER-2023

    The thesis obligations set out in the postgraduate medical education regulations.

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How this works

Authorship and the uniqueness check

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  • Not ghostwriting

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Document: Topic bank — Biochemistry · Revision 1 · Last reviewed

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