Bloodwork is a medical test performed on a blood sample to analyze key indicators of a patient’s health. It can be done intravenously or with a fingerstick blood test. Blood tests are used for a variety of reasons, including comprehensive panels and specific tests for pregnancy or diabetes. Yearly blood tests are recommended for animals and before surgery.
Bloodwork or blood work is a type of medical test that is performed on a blood sample. In blood testing, a medical technician analyzes a blood sample to look for key indicators that may provide clues about the patient’s health. Blood tests are a routine part of many medical procedures, from a diagnostic exam to evaluating a candidate for surgery, and many people experience blood draws for blood tests at some point in their lives.
Blood samples are classically taken intravenously, by inserting a needle into one of the veins on the inside of the elbow to access a blood sample. Sometimes, blood testing may be done with a smaller sample obtained from a fingerstick blood test. In other cases, arterial blood may be needed for blood tests, depending on the patient and the circumstances. In all cases, a nurse, phlebotomist, or doctor can take the blood sample, observing careful procedures to maintain the integrity of the blood sample.
Doctors may order blood tests to look for a variety of things. In a comprehensive blood panel, the technician performing the analysis provides a comprehensive discussion of the various components of the patient’s blood chemistry, including liver enzymes, electrolytes, hormone traces, and red and white blood cell levels. Comprehensive panels tend to be expensive, because they require a variety of blood sample tests. The comprehensive panel often contains information about the mean values of various substances in the blood which can be compared to the patient results, and the technician can offer additional comments on the implications of the results.
In other cases, a doctor may request that the technician look for something in particular, such as traces of hormones associated with pregnancy or glucose levels after a fasting test to check for diabetes. The cost of this type of blood test can vary, depending on what the technician is looking for. Liver enzyme panels, for example, can be quite expensive, while pregnancy tests are often inexpensive.
Some doctors recommend yearly blood tests to check for signs of underlying medical conditions or emerging diseases that may be contracted early. Yearly blood tests are especially recommended for animals, as they are unable to communicate symptoms. Blood work is also routinely requested before surgery, as part of an evaluation to determine whether or not the patient is fit for surgery, and is also used in drug testing to determine if someone has used banned substances .
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