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PODatabase design - table design for modeling a hierarchy
 

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    <p>I am designing a laboratory information system (LIS) and am confused on how to design the tables for the different laboratory tests. How should I deal with a table that has an attribute with multiple values and each of the multiple values of that attribute can also have multiple values as well?</p> <p>Here's some of the data in my LIS design...</p> <pre><code> HEMATOLOGY &lt;-------- Lab group ************************************************************** CBC &lt;-------- Sub group 1 RBC &lt;-------- Component WBC Hemoglobin Hematocrit MCV MCH MCHC Platelet count Hemoglobin Hematocrit WBC differential Neutrophils Lymphocytes Monocytes Eosinophils Basophils Platelet count Reticulocyte count ESR Bleeding time Clotting time Pro-time Peripheral smear Malarial smear ABO RH typing CLINICAL MICROSCOPY &lt;-------- Lab Group ************************************************************** Routine urinalysis &lt;-------- Sub group 1 Visual Examination &lt;-------- Sub group 2 Color &lt;-------- Component Turbidity Specific Gravity Chemical Examination pH protein glucose ketones RBC Hbg bilirubin specific gravitiy nitrite for bacteria urobilinogen leukocyte esterase Microscopic Examination Red Blood Cells (RBCs) White Blood Cells (WBCs) Epithelial Cells Microorganisms (bacteria, trichomonads, yeast) Trichomonads Casts Crystals Occult Blood Pregnancy Test </code></pre> <p>...This hierarchy of data also gets repeated in other lab groupings in my design (e.g. Blood chemistry, Serology, etc)...</p> <p>Another question is, how am I gonna deal with a component (for example, RBC) which can be a member of one or more lab groups?</p> <p>I already implemented a solution to my problem by making a separate tables, 1 for lab group, 1 for sub group 1, 1 for sub group 2 and 1 for component. And then created another table to consolidate all of them by placing a foreign key of each in this table...the only trade off is that some of the rows in this table may have null values. Im not satisfied with my design, so I'm hoping someone could give me advise on how to make it right; any help would be greatly appreciated.</p>
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