Medical Lab Testing What Do They Do

The medical lab testing involves conducting tests and analysis on samples so as to determine a medical condition. Most of the tests that are conducted in the laboratories are blood tests. However, other samples such as stool and urine may also be analyzed. There are certain factors that determine the type of testing to be conducted on a sample. The condition being tested/measured will determine the type of tests to be conducted. The samples are usually sent to the laboratory with the doctor's instructions about the tests to run. The doctors have to decide whether to recommend a laboratory test or not. While some laboratory tests are necessary, some may not be necessary at all. A line has to be drawn between the two

A laboratory test may be termed as unnecessary if the results obtained after the test are not medically necessary. However, the test is relevant if the results obtained are relevant and will enhance appropriate handling and treatment of the patient's medical condition. There are several considerations that can help in establishing whether a test is necessary or not. Why is the test being conducted? The first step involves establishing the purpose of the test. What is the test meant to achieve or accomplish? You may also weigh the consequences of not conducting the test. If the consequences are detrimental, it is an indication that the test is indeed necessary.

In determining the importance of conducting medical lab testing, you have to determine the suitability of the test in discriminating between health and disease. The test should be relevant in such a manner that its results will set a line between the illness and the health of the patient. Once the necessary considerations are made, it will be easy to select optimal and cost effective laboratory tests that will be beneficial to the patients. The laboratory tests have to be accompanied by other diagnosis procedures such as physical examinations as well as consideration of the health history of the patient

What are some of the reasons as to why laboratory tests are conducted? There are several factors that make it necessary to conduct lab tests. One of the purposes of lab testing is diagnosis. This involves determining whether a patient is suffering from a certain medical condition or not. If a patient exhibits symptoms of a certain medical condition, testing may be conducted to determine whether the patient is suffering from the condition or not. The lab test may also be conducted for monitoring purposes. If a patient is under the prescription of some drugs, the testing may be conducted to determine the response of the patients to drugs. Other purposes for conducting laboratory tests include research and screening.

After the medical lab testing is complete, the diagnosis is conducted. There are several approaches that can be followed when diagnosing an illness based on the patient's lab results. The four mainly employed approaches include hypothesis deduction, pattern recognition, medical algorithms and the rifle versus short gun approach. In adopting the hypothesis deduction, attention is paid to the patient's health history including the family health history. In the pattern recognition approach, the results of the tests are compared with the results of previous tests that may have been conducted on the patient.

When conducting laboratory tests, a lot of attention has to be paid. The experts must be very keen on details so as to be in a position to diagnose the condition being tested. To become a lab technician, you have to undergo some ample training. Unqualified lab technicians would end up giving the wrong results and this may result to incorrect diagnosis of a medical condition. This would in turn have detrimental effects on the patient.