| What
are lab tests? |
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| Laboratory tests are medical
procedures that involve testing samples of
blood, urine, or other tissues or substances
in the body. |
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| Why does
your doctor use lab tests? |
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Your doctor uses laboratory tests to help:
- identify changes in your health condition
before any symptoms occur
- diagnose a disease or condition before
you have symptoms
- plan your treatment for a disease or
condition,
- evaluate your response to a treatment,
or
- monitor the course of a disease over
time.
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| How are
lab tests analyzed? |
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After a blood sample
is collected from your body, it is analyzed
in a laboratory. Laboratories perform tests
on the sample to see if it reacts to different
substances. Depending on the test, a reaction
may mean you do have a particular condition
or it may mean that you do not have the
particular condition. Sometimes laboratories
compare your results to results obtained
from previous tests, to see if there has
been a change in your condition.
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| What
do lab tests show? |
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Lab tests show whether
or not your results fall within normal ranges.
Normal test values are usually given as
a range, rather than as a specific number,
because normal values vary from person to
person. What is normal for one person may
not be normal for another person.
Some laboratory tests are precise, reliable
indicators of specific health problems,
while others provide more general information
that gives doctors clues to your possible
health problems. Information obtained from
laboratory tests may help doctors decide
whether other tests or procedures are needed
to make a diagnosis or to develop or revise
a previous treatment plan. All laboratory
test results must be interpreted within
the context of your overall health and should
be used along with other exams or tests.
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| What
factors affect your lab test results? |
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Many factors can affect test results, including:
- sex
- age
- race
- medical history
- general health
- specific foods
- drugs you are taking
- how closely your follow preparatory
instructions
- variations in laboratory techniques
- variation from one laboratory to another
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| How can
you get more information about lab tests? |
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Prominent laboratory
associations have created detailed websites
about clinical lab testing. You can use
these websites to learn general information
about lab tests as well as specific information
about lab tests your doctor may prescribe.
www.pathologylabindia.com
www.labtestsonline.com
www.mayoclinic.com
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