Blood tests
ALTERNATIVE NAMES: Multiple tests for specific blood components, such as a glucose test or a cholesterol test, are often grouped together into one test panel called a blood panel or blood work.
DETAILS/DESCRIPTION:
The first to develop diagnostic blood tests was Andral*, a 19th century French physician. The tests are a relatively easy way to diagnose and to monitor diseases.
Some blood tests measure the various components of the blood to see if the blood itself is healthy. Other blood tests are used to determine how other organs of the body are functioning. The most common blood test is the complete blood cell count (CBC) and is given as a measure of the blood’s cellular components. Often a single drop of blood put through a machine is enough to evaluate the cellular composition of someone’s blood. Blood cells that show to be abnormal may have a fragmented shape or may look like teardrops, crescents, or needles. Indeed, the size and shape of a blood cell are determining factors in the diagnosis of a disease.
Another blood test is the reticulocyte count, which measures bone marrow function using a white blood cell count. Plasma, a liquid, accounts for more than half of blood. This is composed of mainly water with dissolved salts and proteins.
One of the most common plasma tests is the analysis of electrolytes. Others measure protein, sugar, and toxin levels.
ONELINER: Blood tests
OTHER CONNECTIONS: None
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
The Merck Manual of Medical Information. Home edition. Merck Research Laboratories: Whitehouse Station, NJ, 1997.
The American Medical Association Encyclopedia of Medicine. Clayman, Charles B., M.D. (ed.). Random House: New York, 1989.
A blood test is a laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a hypodermic needle, or via fingerprick. Multiple tests for specific blood components, such as a glucose test or a cholesterol test, are often grouped together into one test panel called a blood panel or blood work.
Blood tests are often used in health care to determine physiological and biochemical states, such as disease, mineral content, pharmaceutical drug effectiveness, and organ function. Typical clinical blood panels include a basic metabolic panel or a complete blood count. Blood tests are also used in drug tests to detect drug abuse....