Tell a host query from a result upload
On many analyzers the host query is routine, and on some it is required: the instrument sends a
header, a patient and a Q (request-information) record, and the laboratory information system
answers with the orders for that specimen. Reading such a request as a result upload breaks the
order flow, so check the classification before you treat records as results.
Gate on the classification
import { parseAstmRecords } from "@cosyte/astm";
// A host query asking for all tests on one specimen.
const request = parseAstmRecords("H|\\^&\rP|1\rQ|1|^SPEC-7|^SPEC-7|ALL\rL|1\r");
request.classification.kind; // => "host-query"
request.classification.isHostQueryRequest; // => true
classification.kind is one of host-query, results, orders or indeterminate.
isHostQueryRequest is true exactly when a Q record was read.
A Q decides the kind even when the same stream also carries results: the kind stays host-query,
and the stream raises ASTM_RECORD_AMBIGUOUS_MESSAGE_KIND. The classification covers the whole
stream, so on a stream with several messages classify each message on its own with
classifyMessage(m.records), as Read a stream that carries several
messages shows.
Treat indeterminate as unknown
The kind is a count of record type letters, so it holds only while every letter was readable. When
a record's type letter is not recognized and no Q was read, the kind is indeterminate, not
results or orders, and hasUnrecognized is true, because the unreadable letter may have been
the Q:
import { parseAstmRecords } from "@cosyte/astm";
const msg = parseAstmRecords("H|\\^&\rP|1\rX|1|^SPEC-7||ALL\rR|1|^^^687|10.0|U/L||N||F\rL|1\r");
msg.classification.kind; // => "indeterminate"
msg.classification.hasUnrecognized; // => true
msg.classification.hasResults; // => true
msg.classification.isHostQueryRequest; // => false
hasQuery, hasResults and hasOrders stay true counts throughout. So isHostQueryRequest being
false does not prove a message is a result set: read kind for that. A Q that was read still
decides the kind, because an unreadable letter can only add a kind, not remove one.
Read the query record
import { parseAstmRecords, query } from "@cosyte/astm";
const msg = parseAstmRecords("H|\\^&\rP|1\rQ|1|^SPEC-7|^SPEC-7|ALL\rL|1\r");
const q = query(msg)[0];
q?.startingRangeId; // => "^SPEC-7"
q?.queriesAllTests; // => true
The range IDs, the ALL keyword and the request-information status are kept as sent. The exact
structure of those fields is in the purchased text of the standard, which we have not read, so we
interpret none of them. A request-information status raises
ASTM_RECORD_UNINTERPRETED_QUERY_STATUS to say it was passed through as written.
Keep manufacturer and scientific records out of clinical fields
M (manufacturer) and S (scientific) records carry vendor-defined quality control, calibration
and maintenance data. They are kept whole on record.rawLine and never read into clinical fields,
so a quality-control value can never be read as a patient result:
import { parseAstmRecords, results } from "@cosyte/astm";
const msg = parseAstmRecords("H|\\^&\rM|1|QC^LOT-42|1.5\rS|1|CAL|ok\rL|1\r");
const manufacturer = msg.records.find((r) => r.type === "M");
manufacturer?.type === "M" ? manufacturer.rawLine : undefined; // => "M|1|QC^LOT-42|1.5"
results(msg).length; // => 0