Laboratory tests are essential for diagnosing diseases, monitoring health conditions, and identifying possible drug treatments or surgery complications. According to the AHCA, the U.S. performs over seven billion lab tests annually. There are many different types of laboratory tests. Depending on your symptoms and past medical history, clinical lab consultants may order additional tests for diagnosis. The following are some of the most common standard clinical lab tests.
Complete Blood Count Test (CBC)
A CBC provides valuable information about the health of your blood, including the red blood cells, white cells, and platelets. Clinical lab consultants recommend this test to diagnose anemia, infection, leukemia, and other diseases affecting the structure of your blood cells. If a CBC detects abnormalities in these blood components, you may need other tests for a more accurate diagnosis. A CBC allows doctors to identify infections by identifying white blood cells.
Metabolic Panel Test (MP)
An MP looks at the breakdown products from liver and kidney function. This test rules out conditions that affect blood flow in the kidneys. For instance, congenital disorders block urine from passing through the tract. The information is vital for clinical lab consultants to identify if you have liver or kidney disease or are at risk for developing these conditions. With this test, your doctor can measure the ability to excrete chemicals through sweat, urine, and feces. This is important because people with kidney disease tend to be more sensitive to certain drugs.
Complete Metabolic Panel Test (CMP)
This test determines how well your body breaks down the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in your diet to use as energy. The CMP test also looks at the breakdown of glycogen, a specific type of carbohydrate. Glycogen production is used when there are low levels of glucose in the blood to prevent a hypoglycemia attack. The CMP can help detect conditions that affect this process. They include liver or kidney disease or diabetes mellitus. A PSA test, or prostate-specific antigen, is used to find prostate cancer and other conditions affecting the prostate gland, such as prostatitis.
Clinical laboratory tests detect the presence of diseases that threaten a person's health. Service providers must do these tests accurately to avoid false positives or false negatives when identifying or ruling out illnesses or conditions. Professionals can often identify these diseases by specific lab values in a blood sample. The methods for detecting these values can vary and depend on the type of test. For more details from a reputed clinical lab consultant, contact us today.