Nutrients and ingredients in the food and beverages you consume are absorbed into your bloodstream and could impact factors measured by certain tests. If you are ever unclear about the instructions, be sure to ask the person ordering the test for clarification. The lab cannot perform testing unless it has a written order from the physician. However, you should always follow your healthcare provider's instructions, as the procedures for a particular test might vary from one lab to another. Examples of some common laboratory tests that require advance preparation include: On Lab Tests Online, we provide some information about test preparations you may need to follow before taking certain tests. © 2001-2020 by American Association for Clinical Chemistry, Anti-MuSK (muscle-specific kinase) Antibodies, Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae Antibodies (ASCA), Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies (ANCA, MPO, PR3), Clostridium difficile and C. diff Toxin Testing, Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Gene Mutations Testing, Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR), Estrogen Receptor, Progesterone Receptor Breast Cancer Testing, Extractable Nuclear Antigen Antibodies (ENA) Panel, Factor V Leiden Mutation and PT 20210 Mutation, Fecal Immunochemical Test and Fecal Occult Blood Test, Genetic Tests for Targeted Cancer Therapy, Heparin-induced Thrombocytopenia PF4 Antibody, High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein (hs-CRP), Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus (HTLV) Testing, Maternal Serum Screening, Second Trimester, Protein Electrophoresis, Immunofixation Electrophoresis, Prothrombin Time and International Normalized Ratio (PT/INR), Red Blood Cell (RBC) Antibody Identification, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Testing, Smooth Muscle Antibody (SMA) and F-actin Antibody, Total Protein, Albumin-Globulin (A/G) Ratio, Transferrin and Iron-binding Capacity (TIBC, UIBC), Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Inhibitors and TNF Inhibitor Antibodies, Urine Albumin and Albumin to Creatinine Ratio, Urine Protein and Urine Protein to Creatinine Ratio, Adrenal Insufficiency and Addison Disease, Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC), Pregnancy: First Trimester (Up to 12 weeks), Pregnancy: Second Trimester (13 to 27 weeks), Pregnancy: Third Trimester (28 weeks to delivery), Screening Tests for Children (Ages 2 to 12), Screening Tests for Young Adults (Ages 19-29), Glucose tolerance, fasting, and two-hour post-prandial blood glucose tests, pids profile (triglycerides, cholesterol, etc. Print The Nurse's Role in Patient Preparation & Diagnostic Testing Worksheet 1. An echocardiogram (echo) is a graphic outline of the heart's movement. A general systems examination should identify obvious abnormalities: 1. Some … Before reporting to the lab, patients must first be registered in the Outpatient Registration area located just inside the outpatient entrance. One of the most important factors in determining the accuracy and reliability of your lab test is you, the patient. This is a list of medical tests and procedures used to obtain health information and diagnose pathological and nonpathological conditions of the human body. Patients please note: Obtain the advice of your physician before discontinuing any medications. You also may find information about preparations needed for specific tests on websites like Lab Tests Online. If your doctor provided you with an order for a test, you will need to visit one of our Patient Service Centers to have your specimen collected. Meg sees many patients each shift while working on a busy hospital unit. Gastr… One of the more common types of preparation required for testing is fasting (to go without all or certain foods) for several hours before the test or even overnight. 2. You also may be asked about the amount of alcohol you consume, tobacco products you smoke, or any illicit drugs you may have recently taken. Learn more about COVID rapid tests Preparing for Your Test. Most of these follow up tests … Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. The tests are listed alphabetically. If you are not given any instructions, you should ask if there are any special instructions needed to prepare for the test. • Patient preparation —Some tests require that the patient be fasting. FibroScan test results are always used in conjunction with other clinical data, laboratory test results, and liver imaging in managing individual patients. For the majority of laboratory tests, a fasting specimen is preferred but not required. Indeed, all the test companies are careful to point out that they do not offer a medical diagnosis and that patients should discuss the test results with their personal physician. As one of the more experienced nurses on the inpatient unit, medical providers rely on her clinical abilities to ensure patients are appropriately prepared for their ordered tests and diagnostic procedures. Venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test, which also checks for syphilis antibodies. The category is Berenson-Eggers Type of Service (BETOS) Code category T1H “Lab tests - other Follow instructions, if there are any, to prepare for the specific test you are having performed. What types of blood tests require fasting? As a part of the quality management system, the laboratory must establish a QC programme for all quantitative tests. Several essential steps are required for every successful collection procedure: Venipuncture Procedure: Or you may be asked not to smoke before the test or even not to drink your favorite herbal tea. services. Inform the healthcare practitioner of any medications (including vitamins and supplements) you are taking. It is grouped by type of procedure and ordered alphabetically. Why do I have to fast before certain lab tests? Providing complete, accurate information will help to ensure the reliability of your test results and prompt diagnosis and/or treatment. Life insurance physicals that require blood specimens be sent to a specified laboratory can be collected and shipped by the Wheeling Hospital lab. A Tradition of Excellence. Wheeling Hospital laboratory is not a draw site for health insurance agencies that require all testing is to be done at a specified reference laboratory. For the majority of laboratory tests, a fasting specimen is preferred but not required. Fasting before these advised blood tests ensures more accurate results. General tips to make your lab testing experiences easier. Certain blood tests require you to fast for 8-12 hours. Phlebotomists, sometimes called phlebotomy technicians, work directly with you, the patient, to draw your blood for laboratory tests using venipuncture or skin puncture. Food consumption, medication, activity, and time of day can affect lab results. Fasting means no eating or drinking for at least 8 hours before the test, except water. During this time, do not eat or drink any food or liquids, except water. After cleansing the area, a needle is inserted into a vein just underneath the skin and the blood is collected into a tube or syringe. This information appears in the "At a Glance" section of our test descriptions. Why is it important to explain the … Just as you should give them your complete personal, medical, and family history, you may need to report deviations from preparation instructions and/or any medications that you are taking at the time of testing, including vitamins and supplements, as these may affect the results. With the exception of emergency surgery, patients should be haemodynamically stable and their vital signs normal before starting anaesthesia. You can and should eat and drink the same as you do normally to get an accurate result. The type of blood sample needed is very important. They can also use preregistration on the Wheeling Hospital home page. Those who usually bruise easily may develop a hematoma (a black and blue mark) at the draw site. Some doctors collect specimens for laboratory tests in their offices, but others do not. If a screening test comes back positive, you will need more testing to rule out or confirm a syphilis diagnosis. 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