WHAT ARE LABORATORY TESting?
Laboratory tests are medical devices and procedures intended for checking samples of blood, urine, body tissues, or other substances taken from the body. Physicians need laboratory tests to help in diagnosing diseases, planning for treatments, evaluating the patient's response to those treatments, and monitoring diseases.
HOW ARE LABORATORY TESTing ANALYZED?
Once the sample has been collected from your body, it will then be sent to a laboratory. Tests will be performed on the samples to see if they contain various substances and how much. The presence, absence, or amount of an analyte (the substance being analyzed) your sample has will help determine your condition.
Your physician will sometimes compare your results to results from previous tests. Laboratory tests are usually part of a regular checkup to look for changes in your health.
WHAT DO LABoratory TESTing SHOW?
Your physician will analyze your lab test results to see if you fall within the normal range. Lab test values are given in range instead of a specific number because what is normal differs from person to person.
Some lab tests show if a particular substance is present or absent in your body. It may show an infectious organism or mutations to a gene that would explain your conditions or why you respond to therapies the way you do.
FACTORS AFFECTING LABORATORY TESTing RESULTS
- Sex
- Age
- Race
- Medical history
- General health
- What you eat and drink
- Medications you take
- How well you followed the pre-test instructions
