Suppose that the result is well into the abnormal range (not just over the line), but has not changed significantly. Receptionist said it was non-urgent but still feel concerned. For example . I was borderline anemic with my first and was prescribed iron supplements. non urgent = something trivial like mild anemia, low vitamin B12, slightly raised cholesterol or whatever. High levels: Low levels: ALP bile duct blockage cirrhosis gallbladder inflammation gallstones hepatitis Paget's disease bone metabolism disorders Other results change with age. Alternatively, you can set it so they are different. endobj Abnormal Pap test results include The pathologist describes the findings in a pathology report, which contains details about your diagnosis. These conditions include Down syndrome and other chromosomal differences. Provides medical oversight to Medical Staff Associates, including the training of other physicians and Medical Staff Associates. When we get to actual case examples in future blogs, you will see situations where a diagnosis was uncovered just by considering the information contained in the actual test result value.My main point to you as a diagnostic decision maker is that you must know everything about your test results, including the exact value of every tests results. Mutual insurance companies converted to stock companies long ago, just as credit unions are at risk of becoming ordinary banks, more focused on corporate returns than the interests of members. Crystals. GITURAFACILITIESBLOGCONTACT, Upperhill Cardiovascular Centre in partnership with MM DIGITAL MARKETING KENYA| Copyright 2023 Upperhill Cardiovascular Centre. You may need an ECG test if you have risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure, or symptoms such as palpitations or chest pain. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an abnormal Pap test result can also indicate that you might have a vaginal infection. Q: Low Ferritin 7 tired the whole day, any advice? Thursday 18th February 2021: more tests + an urgent call from Dr Man with the test results Echocardiogram. A pathologist looks at the tissue under a microscope and runs other tests on the cells in the sample. When you get your blood tested as part of a routine checkup, you might be relieved when everything comes back normal and your doctor doesnt find anything alarming. In the table, a high value (30, for example, in the first column of the table) means something different to you than a value of 20, or 10, or 5, even though all of those values are abnormal (any value greater than 2 in this example would be abnormal). A "non urgent" appointment is exactly that..non urgent!! Instead: Positive: The lab found whatever your doctor was testing for. Laboratory abnormalities in severe disease are further described in Table 7.2. It provides information about your heart rate and rhythm and shows if there is an enlargement of the heart due to high blood pressure or evidence of a previous heart attack. Should I be concerned. However, dont see much evidence of thinking about whether to test or not. After your doctor collects all of your blood work results, theyll be able to diagnose whether you have a disease and can provide you with steps to take to prevent it from getting worse. Sometimes when the blood test does not give the desired results and the results are not within the normal range, it is not automatically deemed that one has some complications or ailments. And of that number, how many are growing so slowly that the patient will likely die from some other cause before his cancer gets to that point? Group Black's collective includes Essence, The Shade Room and Naturally Curly. NHS number (non-essential) Urgent samples from general practice, so that they may be . But it made me a nervous wreck until I knew. Job Description . Management of test results Managing test results in general practice can be complex. Results are reported as how many millimetres of clear plasma are present at the top of the column after one hour. Unfortunately, theres no straightforward answer. How many false positives does it take to yield another case of prostate cancer? Researchers distinguish normal test results by performing the test in people who are well. Of course, you'll want to understand what might be the cause of an abnormal result regardless of the trajectory. The educational health content on What To Expect is reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts to be up-to-date and in line with the latest evidence-based medical information and accepted health guidelines, including the medically reviewed What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff. Please select a reason for escalating this post to the WTE moderators: Connect with our community members by starting a discussion. A key concept in testing is that the value of any test result may vary. A blood calcium test screens for, diagnoses, and monitors a range of conditions relating to the bones, heart, nerves, kidneys, and teeth. CLINICAL HEART AND VASCULAR CENTRE IN NAIROBI KENYA. If you had a positive COVID-19 test, please self-isolate at home as much as possible . I had repeat bloods done on Thursday last week, and dr said she would call me back with the results. A problem with this way of teaching about the value of test results is that often physicians and patients think there are only two possible test results, normal or not. If two or more tests show problems, you should ask for an explanation because these results may indicate that other medical conditions exist. This pregnancy is following a MC! Diabetic retinopathy can cause abnormal blood vessels to grow out of the retina and block fluid from draining out of the eye. To get the desired correct results there is a need for a person to stick to the guidelines before going for any test. 4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-2xVWnqSs4, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5PuEB6szHM. He told me the results over the phone, there was no time to waste . I could go on, but as I have said before, Im just a layman. Other abnormal readings may or may not indicate a problem. Sometimes your health professional may decide that - taking into account what is already known about your health - no further action is needed. Moreover, patients may also think about the consequences of being wrong if they should decline tests like a PSA or mammogram and then find out too late that they have late stage cancer. My metabolic panel is marked as abnormally low; my creatinine was 8, reference range is 9-23. They are probably much more hesitant to get tests that are painful or uncomfortable or involve unpleasant preparation. A serum potassium test result may be as low as 3.0 and as high as 4.0 in normal people, for example. <> All rights reserved. If a result is abnormal but not life threatening, the GP gets them within around 48hrs depending on test, but you have to allow GP time to read, file, make comments etc. Basically it says the doctor wants me to make a non urgent appointment regarding my abnormal result (clinically significant) what does this mean? Im sure if you explained they would be very understanding. Ischemia, or lack of blood flow, may also cause an abnormal ECG.Heart rhythm abnormalities: A heart typically beats in a steady rhythm. Lower Than Normal Ratio of Red Blood Cells When a person suffers from a lower than normal ratio of red blood cells when compared to the plasma, is an indication of being affected by anemia. These blood tests measure two substances found in the blood of all pregnant women: Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A. But Id suggest trusting your doctor that it is non-urgent. Screening tests are used to see if your baby has a high chance of a genetic health condition. Check your overall health. These include: Defects or abnormalities in the hearts shape and size: An abnormal ECG can signal that one or more aspects of the hearts walls are larger than another meaning that the heart is working harder than normal to pump blood.Electrolyte imbalances: Electrolytes are electricity-conducting particles in the body that help keep the heart muscle beating in rhythm. Heres why. % For example, if your blood sugar level is high and your cholesterol is elevated, then theres a good chance you have diabetes or pre-diabetes. Getting the results is particularly important if you've had a lot of blood tests done at once because it is easier for them to skip over an abnormal test result unintentionally. Hi there I am so stressed and anxious about a letter I received from the doctors. This result would suggest that you are currently infected with COVID-19. Cardiac Bloodwork What do the Tests Mean? Urine microscopic findings A lab technician may examine a urine sample under a microscope to look for tiny substances in the urine, including: Cells. Could be a test that they expect is a false positive so they just plan on testing you again later, Is it like labcorp or something where you can make an account and check. But they told me on the phone what the problem is. \1XreH~]?lqFQT)c!F}S 2Mo,O%D]2kXJ4cyIALIi&,~3}{ {TesAYK!4eSoL+`_G.e1>JR$ky^eYDg}K Y>&5y;PX4IbJ,NM>I"=Bv\GDrU/yQ %Ok..y!yY2*ai9q^Y4~Z?Ah~*OKV-8 ->&[_8|EE7gZ!B#KwKS\,YON*sB50 Z4fA&rbVJGm+EuOas,1J@Vj)+!eU>*B2Mpcf@)S E F|6. Of course, you'll want to understand what might be the cause of an abnormal result regardless of the trajectory. There are several major reasons you may want to get blood tests more often than that: Read more about the common myths of cholesterol. One should ensure they go for their regular annual checkups and not to avoid basic blood tests. For example, for an individual who goes for a fasting plasma glucose test and had eaten some food, the results may be abnormal. Want to get fit and healthy? What mean blood count abnormal n also have flag on my lab test. Changes in liver function tests give a clue as to whether your liver is under strain, inflamed, infected or diseased, and how badly. Please whitelist our site to get all the best deals and offers from our partners. Non-urgent result your doctor will advise: our receptionist will advise you that the doctor would like to discuss your result and will arrange for the doctor to call you usually within 48 hours. The most important thing to remember about abnormal blood test results is that theyre not necessarily life-threatening. Typically, a patient would be referred to a hematologist because of anemia, bruis. I'm sure it's fine but I would call them in the morning and see if you can find out anything, Update: it was low iron. COVID-19 Positive (SARS-CoV-2 RNA Detected) Test Result. Better health is, of course, a positive result, but too often the goal is hunting Easter eggs for the practice, courtesy of the insurance company. This causes a type of glaucoma (a group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness). Tagged as: McNutt, Negative, Positive, Testing, What if your test say abnormal? A number of specific abnormal blood tests and combinations of abnormal blood tests markedly increased the probability of cancer being diagnosed. 37 weeks now, glad your mind can be at ease now! This is a test to check the types and numbers of cells in your blood, including red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Your provider may order tests of various organs and systems to see if there have been changes in your health over time. ! With most blood tests, different laboratories would all come to pretty much the same result. An ECG (electrocardiogram) is a painless test that measures and records the electrical activity of your heart at rest. Non urgent - you will be absolutely fine. Blood sugar levels, for example, vary depending on what and when we ate. Sometimes an ECG abnormality is a normal variation of a hearts rhythm, which does not affect your health. There was a little red blood a few days into it so I went into emergency. So, heres my general advice for dealing with laboratory test results. think twice before sharing personal details, foster a friendly and supportive environment, remove fake accounts, spam and misinformation, delete posts that violate our community guidelines, reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts. This may seem self evident, but failing to consider the absolute value of a test result is a common cause of missing the correct diagnosis in my experience. But dont worry; were here to tell you everything you need to know about your abnormal blood results. can you tell which results are abnormal online? But, the greater the potassium level, the more the diagnostic and treatment decisions may vary. Low hematocrit levels may be a sign of anemia. Your doctor will usually recommend that you get routine blood work at least once a year, around the same time as your yearly physical. This can be incredibly frighteningespecially if you dont know what it means. The resting ECG is different from a stress or exercise ECG or cardiac imaging test. You can see from this table, then, that the actual test result value will have different meanings in terms of making a diagnosis. Some of the cells of the cervix look different from the normal cells. This may be recorded as 'abnormal but expected'. For example, I had a patient whose PSA test for prostate cancer was in the low normal range every year for 20 years. The normal range is 0-89 mg/dL. 30/03/2009 18:23, thank you poldra and archie, it is soo helpful being able to talk about it. Abnormal results can signify several issues. These other tests can include urine tests, x-rays, MRI scans, and CT scans, among others depending on your case. The communication of such important results should be a priority, and in certain . I caught his prostate cancer at an early and curable stage. 4. 8. Many heart, lung, and kidney conditions can be diagnosed using blood tests. Abnormalities in The Results of The Blood Tests May be due to Low Levels of the Red Blood Cells and Hemoglobin - Which leads to a person suffering from anemia due to inadequate iron levels in the meals a person takes. What you need to know. Youre entitled to your labs. Retinal detachment. The doctor was good. This leads to a rigid, sickle-like shape under certain circumstances. Please specify a reason for deleting this reply from the community. What does it mean for your health and wellness? You may need the test for screening or occupational requirements, or if you have a personal or family history of heart disease, diabetes, or other risks and you want to start exercising.