title: A DNA diagnostic service.
abstract: We describe the use of techniques of DNA analysis for the diagnosis of certain inherited diseases during life and in the prenatal period, and for the diagnosis of some infectious diseases. Most local and some national needs for predictive genetic testing have been met. The costs of establishing our service are presented and are compared with those of similar services recently established in the United Kingdom. In the 12 month period described, running costs were approximately $57,000 and salaries for the two scientific officers and the medical technologist required to run the service were $97,000. The prerequisites for the successful running of such a service are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Otago Medical School, Dunedin.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Beresford
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lovell-Smith
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Poole
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Watt
mesh_terms: D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D003954:Diagnostic Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000175:diagnosis; D009520:New Zealand; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
chemical_list: D004247:DNA