Blood testing is a fascinating and complex process, whose result gives you and your medical provider crucial insight into your state of health. But have you ever wondered what happens to your blood sample in a laboratory?
In this post, we’ll discuss a few common types of blood tests, what they reveal about your health, and how your blood sample is analyzed in a laboratory.
Common Types of Blood Tests
There are various types of blood tests, but the ones outlined below are the most commonly ordered by healthcare professionals.
- Complete blood count (CBC) – This type of blood test measures the different parts of your blood, such as your red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. CBC can detect a wide range of health problems, including anemia, dehydration, infection, and blood disorders.
- Metabolic panel – This is a group of tests done to evaluate the glucose, calcium, and electrolyte levels in your blood.
While doctors often order this test for people with diabetes to monitor their blood glucose levels, it can also detect a number of health conditions, such as electrolyte imbalance as well as kidney and liver problems.
- Lipid panel – This is done to assess the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood and estimate your risk for heart disease.
How Your Blood Sample Is Analyzed in a Lab
How your blood sample is processed in a laboratory depends on the specific test or purpose. For instance, for CBC, the medical technologist feeds your whole-blood sample in a fully automated hematology analyzer, which uses a laser beam to count and identify blood cells at high speed and accuracy. Within a few minutes, the values of the components are then displayed and printed for review.
The conventional approach to analyzing data for CBC involves a medical technologist obtaining a tiny sample of your blood and placing it on a glass slide to view it under a microscope. This method remains widely used, as there are instances when results of CBC show abnormal values or atypical features of blood cells requiring further evaluation – which are not reported by an automated hematology analyzer. This process is called manual differential analysis.
Lab Testing in Rochester, NY
If you’re a resident of Chili in Rochester, New York and in search of a reputable healthcare facility that offers a wide range of diagnostic services – including lab testing – on site, look no further than Cornerstone Urgent Care Center.
With our state-of-the-art equipment and the expertise and efficiency of our medical professionals, you can count on us to provide highly reliable results, helping your attending physician arrive at a timely diagnosis and devise the most effective treatment.
Visit us anytime during our business hours – no appointment necessary! But you can also let us know you are coming in for a blood test by calling (585) 207-0088 or sending us a message online.
