Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsChem 7CBCHeart DiseaseThyroid FunctionProstateHormonesDiabetesMalnutritionPregnancyCoagulationLiver HealthBlood GasABO TypingBlood Culture
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Chem 7
CBC
Heart Disease
Thyroid Function
Prostate
Hormones
Diabetes
Malnutrition
Pregnancy
Coagulation
Liver Health
Blood Gas
ABO Typing
Blood Culture
Most people will need a blood test at some point in their lives. Blood tests are part ofroutine health screenings. They are used to check organ function and immune system activity, to diagnose chronic diseases like diabetes, and to help prevent complications from surgery.
Needing a blood test doesn’t necessarily mean that your healthcare provider suspects something is wrong. In many cases, blood tests are used to confirm that your health is good.
Interpreting blood testsis best left to a physician, but it may be helpful to know what a test looks for. This article breaks down common blood tests and explains what they mean.
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Also known as a blood chemistry, chemistry panel, orbasic metabolic panel, this test looks at the levels of essential enzymes in the blood, and also checks kidney function.
In addition, the glucose level in the blood is obtained through this test and can indicate if a person needs further testing for diabetes.
These seven tests are included:
Chem 7 Panel: Blood Chemistry Test
A complete blood count (CBC), looks at the different cells that make up whole blood. A CBC can inform the doctor if the body is making the appropriate number of each type of cell, and it can also reflect signs of a current or recent infection, bleeding, or clotting issues.
After surgery, the doctor may order this test to see if a blood transfusion is warranted or to evaluate for infection.
A CBC includes:
An H&H is similar to a CBC but only looks at the hemoglobin and hematocrit levels.
What Your CBC Blood Test Results Say About Your Health
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most healthy adults should have their cholesterol checked every four to six years.You may need these tests more frequently if you have a family history of heart disease or other risk factors.
A cholesterol screening is a blood test that checks levels of:
Other cardiac blood tests that may be ordered include:
Understanding High Cholesterol and Borderline High Cholesterol
Your healthcare provider may order one or more thyroid tests if you have signs of anunderactive or overactivethyroid gland.
Thethyroid stimulating hormone(TSH) test is typically done first. TSH is made in thepituitary glandand tells the thyroid gland how much T4 (thyroxine) and T3 (triiodothyronine) hormones to make.
High TSH typically means you havehypothyroidism. If you get this result, you may be given aT4 blood testto confirm a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Conversely, low TSH typically means you havehyperthyroidism. To confirm this diagnosis, your provider may order aT3 blood test.
Some providers order both a T4 and T3 test to rule out other possible causes of an abnormal TSH test. For example, your thyroid hormone levels may be higher if you are pregnant or taking corticosteroids to treat another medical condition.
How Long Does Blood Work Take?
Higher levels of PSA mean there is a higher chance of having prostate cancer. Most males whodo nothave prostate cancer have PSA levels under 4 ng/mL (nanograms per millimeter). PSA levels between 4 to 10 are considered the borderline range. About one in four people who fall within this range have prostate cancer.
All males should get routine prostate cancer screenings starting at age 55. You may need to begin screenings earlier if you have a family history of prostate cancer or another risk factor. For most people, one screening every two to three years is enough.
Prostate Cancer
Blood tests are commonly done to diagnose issues related to reproductive hormones, particularly estrogen (also called estradiol) and testosterone.
Females may need anestrogen blood testif their provider suspects an issue related to puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause. The test may be done to see if a female is responding to fertility treatment.It may also be ordered for males experiencing late puberty or abnormal breast growth.
In males, atestosterone blood testmay be done to help diagnose infertility, erectile dysfunction, low libido, and more. In females, a testosterone blood test can help diagnose the cause of excessive hair growth (hirsutism), abnormal menstrual periods, hair thinning, and more.
Aprogesterone blood testis often ordered for females who experience repeated miscarriages, or to determine the risk of miscarriage in early pregnancy.Progesteroneplays a crucial role in pregnancy.
Types of Hormone Tests for Women and What Their Results Mean
If you have diabetes or your healthcare provider suspects you might, they will likely order one or more blood tests to check your blood sugar (glucose). Blood tests will confirm a diagnosis of prediabetes, type I diabetes, type II diabetes, orgestational diabetes.
The different types of blood tests for analyzing blood sugar include:
If your healthcare provider suspects you have type I diabetes, your blood may also be tested for specific antibodies that are often present in people with type I diabetes, but not in those with type II.
What Is a Normal Blood Sugar Level in the Body?It depends on the blood test. After fasting, a glucose level of 99 mg/dL or lower is considered normal. After a glucose tolerance test, a normal level is 140 mg/dL or lower.Normal results for a gestational diabetes blood test may differ.
What Is a Normal Blood Sugar Level in the Body?
It depends on the blood test. After fasting, a glucose level of 99 mg/dL or lower is considered normal. After a glucose tolerance test, a normal level is 140 mg/dL or lower.Normal results for a gestational diabetes blood test may differ.
What Is Gestational Diabetes?
Nutritional Deficiencies
Severe nutritional deficiencies can lead to a number of problems, including intellectual impairments, poor wound healing, poor growth, and perinatal complications, as well as a higher risk of death due to all causes.
Blood tests can be used to detect deficiencies in the following vitamins and minerals:
What Is a Folate Deficiency?
If you have tested positive for pregnancy with a urine test, your provider will order apregnancy blood test. The test measures levels ofquantitative humanchorionic gonadotropin(hCG), a hormone that is produced in the body during pregnancy.
An hCG test can detect pregnancy as soon as 10 days after conception. It can also help diagnose abnormal pregnancies, such as:
The hCG test is also performed to screen for Down Syndrome.
How Down Syndrome Is Diagnosed
PT, PTT, and INR
These tests, known collectively as a coagulation panel, looks at the ability for your blood to clot. Disordered clotting ability can cause problems in surgery, during which bleeding is often expected.
If the result show impaired clotting ability, it may be necessary to delay surgery to prevent significant bleeding during the procedure. This test may also be used to monitor blood-thinning medications, such aswarfarin.
What Do Your PT/INR and PTT Results Mean?
Liver Enzymes
Liver function studies, also known as LFTs, are done to determine if the liver is functioning normally. Because the liver plays a role in removing anesthesia from the bloodstream and normal blood clotting, it’s essential to know if it’s functioning normally prior to the procedure. Elevated numbers can indicate liver damage or poor liver function.
An additional test, called a GGT, may be added to the liver panel.This test can indicate that there is damage to the liver or surrounding ducts but does not specify what type of damage is present.
A typical liver function study includes:
What to Expect During Liver Function Tests
Arterial Blood Gas
Abnormal results may indicate that the blood is low in oxygen, that the patient is breathing too much or too little (on a ventilator during the surgical procedure), or that they need additional oxygen.
The ABG is typically performed at least once a day when the patient is on a ventilator for an extended period of time. The results are used to determine if any changes in ventilator settings are necessary.
If the patient is in ICU, a special IV called an arterial line may be placed to make drawing arterial blood easier, particularly when it’s being done frequently.
A typical ABG includes:
You may be asked to sign a consent form for the administration of blood before your surgery, even if a transfusion is not a routine part of the procedure, in case the need arises.
Blood Culture and Sensitivity
A blood culture is a process where a small sample of yourblood is drawninto a bottle of sterile culture medium that “feeds” bacteria. The sample is kept warm and after a few days, it is checked to see if bacteria is growing. If bacteria are growing, it is likely that the same bacteria is growing in your blood.
If bacteria grow, it is then exposed to different antibiotics to see which antibiotic is the most effective for treating your infection. This is a scientific way to choose the best antibiotic for your infection without giving you multiple antibiotics and hoping one works well.
Summary
Your healthcare provider may order a blood test as part of a routine screening for certain cancers, or to check for chronic health conditions like diabetes. Fragments of your blood can reveal immune system activity that points to recent infection or another disease your body is fighting off. Blood tests provide important information about organ function, along with your blood’s ability to form clots and stop bleeding. If your healthcare provider orders a blood test, don’t panic. Blood tests are commonplace in medical care and are often done to confirm that all is well.
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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