Blood sampling is a common medical technique that most people will experience over a lifetime. Although widely practiced, blood sampling is not a trivial act.
Your doctor has prescribed a blood test, your appointment is approaching and you have several questions: What labs near me? What is a blood test for? Why were you ordered to have a blood test? How is the exam going? How to interpret the results of a blood test? Whether it is your first blood test or you are familiar with a blood puncture, this article will guide you through the different stages of this test.
What is a blood test used for?
Blood is a veritable mine of information on the state of health. The blood analysis, therefore, makes it possible to follow the evolution of the constituent elements of the blood, to detect certain pathologies, to establish treatment, or to adjust it according to the results obtained and then finally to be able to follow the evolution of a diagnosis.
When is a blood test useful?
In case of acute or chronic illness; the blood test will make it possible to orient the diagnosis, detect the causes, pronounce an adequate treatment and control its effectiveness over time.
In the event of patient complaints or the appearance of abnormal signs in the latter
As part of long-term medication; to assess its effectiveness and adjust the dosage as needed. To assess the toxicity when taking a drug.
As part of a health check
Or just for a routine analysis
Why have I been prescribed a blood test?
During a visit to the doctor, and following the clinical examination, the latter may make assumptions about the patient's state of health. Blood tests will then be ordered to detect underlying disorders if this is the case. Since the blood test cannot reveal a pathology if the examination has not been carried out on this specific element, it is essential to adopt an honest and precise attitude towards the doctor to guide him in his examination.
How is a blood test done?
Some blood tests require fasting to be performed, such as lipid and glycemic checks. A blood test can be done in walk in lab or in a CLSC.
The day of your appointment for your blood test, you will be asked to have on hand the laboratory request prescribed by your doctor in order to establish the nature of the blood test to be performed. This procedure is usually done by a nurse. The puncture is most often carried out at the level of the vein of the fold of the elbow. A tourniquet is then placed around the chosen arm to help locate and feel the vein. Some collection centers will allow you to lie down while you are having your blood drawn, which allows you to be more relaxed. The nurse then disinfects the area with an alcohol swab. A needle connected to a collection tube is introduced to collect the blood. blood work near me centers use finer butterfly-type needles to reduce discomfort associated with blood collection. Depending on the number of tests to be performed, the amount of blood collected may vary. Often, one or two tubes are sufficient to perform all the required tests.
After the blood test, the tube is labeled for subsequent laboratory analysis. The blood is thus examined under a microscope in blood culture or else poured into a test tube containing a reagent for the desired substance. The time to obtain the results varies depending on the tests performed and the collection center.
Follow-up of a blood test
If the blood test says a lot about an individual's state of health, keep in mind that it does not reveal everything. Indeed, the doctor will prescribe a blood test according to the age, state of health, of the patient, but also following observation of his symptoms and risk factors. The exercise of the blood test is therefore targeted; it will not be possible to obtain a report on a specific pathology if the patient does not present any of these symptoms.
Conclusion
If the blood test can diagnose certain pathologies using a simple blood sample, other diseases require a more in-depth investigation. Sometimes the blood test is only an indicator. Ask your doctor about the examination that best suits your situation!