Understanding Your Lab Test Results
When you have cancer, you will probably need lab, imaging, or other tests. These tests are done to help watch your bodys response to treatment. They can show small changes before problems get serious. Keeping track of your lab results lets your doctor take action as soon as your blood counts change to help prevent many cancer-related problems and cancer treatment side effects.
Some people find it helps to ask for a copy of their lab results and have a member of their cancer care team go over the numbers with them. By getting a copy, you can also see what the normal ranges are for the lab that tested your blood and where your numbers fall within that range.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology enacted the Cures Act. The Cures Act is intended to make it easier for people to be able to see their medical records, clinical notes, and their costs of care. But, it doesn’t always allow health care providers to delay the release of health information to patients, including lab, imaging, pathology, and other test results. This means that patients may see their results on a patient portal at the same time as their health care provider or before their health care provider has had a chance to review and explain them.
Abnormal or unclear test results can make patients worry, especially if they have been waiting to see them. Talking to the health care provider who is ordering the tests ahead of time might help you might want to ask them:
When Will A Veterinarian Recommend Dog Blood Tests
The following situations can result in dog blood work being ordered:
- On the first veterinary visit: We recommend puppies have blood test to rule out congenital diseases, for baseline information and for pre anesthetic testing prior to spay or neuter
- During semi-annual wellness exams: This is recommended if your veterinarian suggests it as part of a thorough physical examination because dog blood work, along with other bodily fluids like urine, can help identify conditions the examination portion of a physical cannot
- If a dog seems not quite right: Canine blood tests are suitable for a dog that is not displaying any overt signs of illness, disease or injury, but is acting abnormal
- Pre-surgical tests: Dog blood work is used to determine the efficiency of the liver and kidneys, which helps a veterinarian select the safest dose of anesthesia. Tests can also help determine the surgical risk level in infirmed, elderly or injured patients
- Prior to starting a new medication: Particularly for new medication may be metabolized by the liver or kidney
- During senior wellness exams: Dog blood tests are usually recommended for mature, senior and geriatric dogs as part of their periodic wellness exams. These are extremely beneficial, as we often see senior dogs return to a more youthful state of being when blood tests identify an issue that can be easily treated
What Does A Complete Blood Count Measure
A CBC measures the amounts of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in a sample of blood. It includes measurements that represent both the actual number of cells as well as the percentage or concentration of each cell type compared to the rest of the blood volume. The four different values you might see on your CBC are:
Red blood cell values:
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RBC : the number of red blood cells
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HCT : the concentration of red blood cells in your blood
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MCV : the average size of your red blood cells
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RDW : the variation in size of your red blood cells
Hemoglobin values:
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HGB : the total amount of hemoglobin in your blood
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MCH : the average amount of hemoglobin you have in a single red blood cell
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MCHC : the average concentration of hemoglobin in sample volume of blood
White blood cell values:
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WBC : the number of white blood cells
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NEUT : the amount or percentage of white blood cells that are neutrophils
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LYMPH : the amount or percentage of white blood cells that are lymphocytes
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MONO : the amount or percentage of white blood cells that are monocytes
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EOS : the amount or percentage of white blood cells that are eosinophils
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BASO : the amount or percentage of white blood cells that are basophils
Platelet values:
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PLT : the number of platelets in your blood
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MPV : the average size of your platelets
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Waiting Times For Blood Tests
We have been working hard with our NHS partners across North East London to reduce our waiting times for blood test appointments. We have been asked to take on additional capacity due to pressures across the region in response to COVID-19. We are recruiting more colleagues, have set up additional clinics, and brought in urgent blood testing for patients who meet the relevant referral criteria for these. Please discuss with your GP if you think your blood test may be urgent as they may be able to refer you urgently.
We have also had to make significant changes to our blood testing service as a result of COVID-19. These include introducing an appointment system rather than running walk-in clinics, minimising the number of people in our clinical areas and waiting rooms, and making sure we have enough time between appointments for appropriate cleaning and other infection prevention and control measures.
As a result of the measures we have put in place, many of our blood test clinics now have a wait time within one week or less. We would highly recommend looking at availability across all clinics before booking your blood test.
Please Do Not Postpone Important Decisions

The price depends on:
- scientific degree of the preferred physician,
- preferred substances and their amounts required for a specific service,
- applied anaesthesia,
- nursing type and number of in-hospital days.
- preferred type of catering,
The Centre standard price is applied if you have a properly issued referral letter.
The regular price is applied if you do not have a referral letter.
You do not need a referral letter for laboratory tests, the Regular Price is applied.
How soon are the results of laboratory tests available?
2 hours for the most common blood tests and urinalysis.3 hours for tests ordered before 9.00 a. m.If rare tests are ordered for a single sample that require stopping the analyser to change test reagents, the time to have the test done may be prolonged by several additional hours. 10 to 20 working days, if samples are to be sent to Germany, the time required for the test to be done depends on the complexity of the test.
The reports of computed tomography , magnetic resonance tomography imaging and otherinstrumental examinations are usually ready immediately, i.e within 2-3 hours after the examination.The report of a test which is carried out on Saturday is available from the healthcare professional carryingout the test .The reports of echoscopic and other examinations that are carried out in the physicians office are issuedimmediately after the examination.
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Why Do I Need An Ast Blood Test
The purpose of an AST blood test is to detect damage to cells. If cells in your liver are damaged, it can cause AST to leak into your blood, so an AST blood test can help find liver issues. While your healthcare provider will most often use the test to help assess liver health, an AST test can also provide information for other medical conditions and cell damage elsewhere in your body.
Your healthcare provider may order a blood panel test that includes an AST test for you to help screen for, monitor or help diagnose liver conditions and other medical conditions.
Screening
Screening means checking for potential health issues before you experience symptoms. Your healthcare provider will likely recommend screening with a liver panel blood test that includes an AST test if you have risk factors for liver disease, including:
- Injecting drugs using shared needles.
Since AST tests are often included in routine blood panel tests that assess your general overall health, such as a comprehensive metabolic panel, you may get an AST test even if you dont have risk factors for liver disease.
Monitoring
If you have a liver condition, your healthcare provider may order an AST test, often as part of a panel, to monitor your condition to see if its improving, worsening or staying the same with or without treatment. Your healthcare provider may also have you do an AST test and liver enzyme panel test if youre taking a medication that can affect your liver.
Diagnosing
Why Should You Use Testingcom Blood Tests In Lincoln Nebraska
Routine blood testing is an important tool for keeping track of your health status. Blood work screens for developing health issues, tracks changes, detects infections and diseases, and aids in monitoring progress and/or the effectiveness of treatments.
You dont have to visit your doctor or make an office appointment to have lab tests ordered. Testing.com makes blood testing available without a doctors order and no insurance is needed. Order your tests online and walk into a lab near Lincoln to complete your testing. You can also make Quest Diagnostics appointments or visit a LabCorp patient service center.
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What Does It Mean If Your Neutrophils Result Is Too Low
NEUTROPENIA
Neutropenia is potentially associated with life threatening infection. It is most significant when the total neutrophil count is less than 0.5 x 109/L, particularly when the neutropenia is due to impaired production . When the neutropenia is due to increased peripheral destruction or margination , it is less certain what constitutes a significant level. These patients rarely have problems with significant bacterial infection despite quite low neutrophil counts.
Causes
In routine clinical practice the most frequent cause of a low neutrophil count is overt or occult viral infection, including viral hepatitis. Acute changes are often noted within one to two days of infection and may persist for several weeks. The neutrophil count seldom decreases enough to pose a risk of infection.
A low neutrophil count is often discovered in some people as an incidental finding in the CBC result. The patient is generally asymptomatic and the clinical examination is unremarkable. The count is usually stable on follow-up. This is likely to be idiopathic although in some cases a neutropenia may be associated with splenomegaly or an autoimmune disease such as lupus.
Neutropenia can be classified as:
Classification |
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What Are Common Treatments For Neutrophil Conditions
Common treatments for low and high neutrophil counts include:
- Taking antibiotics.
- Getting a bone marrow transplant.
- Changing or stopping medication that causes neutropenia.
- Taking corticosteroids if you have an autoimmune disorder.
- Treating underlying medical conditions that affect your neutrophil count.
- Getting a white blood cell transfusion.
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Who Performs An Ast Blood Test
A phlebotomist usually performs blood draws, including those for an AST blood test, but any healthcare provider who is trained in drawing blood can perform this task. They then send the samples to a lab where a medical laboratory scientist prepares the samples and performs the tests on machines known as analyzers.
Why You Might Have A Blood Test

Blood tests can:
- check your general health, including how well your liver and kidneys are working
- check numbers of blood cells
- help diagnose cancer and other conditions
Your blood sample is sent to the laboratory. A specialist doctor can look at your sample under a microscope.
They can see the different types of cells and can count the different blood cells. They can also test for different kinds of chemicals and proteins in the blood.
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What Can Cause A High Neutrophil Count
A high neutrophil count is called neutrophilia or neutrophilic leukocytosis. It can be caused by a lot of different conditions, including:
Infection. This is the most common cause of a high neutrophil count. Most bacterial infections cause a high neutrophil count but not all of them do. Viral infections don’t generally cause neutrophilia but they may in the early stage of infection. Some fungal and parasitic infections can cause neutrophilia as well.
Inflammation. Any condition that causes inflammation in your body can increase your neutrophil count. Examples of this include:
- Rheumatoid arthritis and gout, which are types of arthritis
- Ulcerative colitis, which is irritation and ulcers in your large intestine
- Tissue damage from burns, surgery, or trauma
- Sickle cell crisis, which is a type of red blood cell disorder
- Acute kidney failure
- Diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious complication of diabetes when acids build up in your blood
- Cushing’s syndrome, which is when your body has too much cortisol
- Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, which are complications of pregnancy that can cause organ damage
- Corticosteroids
Some types of cancer. Cancers that can cause neutrophilia include:
Long Fasting Test For Insulinoma
You might have a long fasting test to help your doctor to diagnose a type of pancreatic NET called insulinoma. It is to check if your blood sugar levels go down if you dont eat.
Your nurse might put a small tube into your vein. Your nurse takes regular blood samples to check your blood sugar. You can drink water but not eat or drink anything else for up to 72 hours.
You stay in hospital for this test. This is so your nurses can give you something to eat or drink if your blood sugar gets very low.
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What Are Common Tests To Check The Health Of My Neutrophils
Tests that check the health of your neutrophils include:
- Complete blood count : A complete blood count test examines the cells in a sample of your blood that reflects how many cells are in your body. A CBC assists in diagnosing medical conditions and can be a benchmark to evaluate your overall health.
- Absolute neutrophil count : An ANC determines how many neutrophil cells are in a sample of your blood.
- Bone marrow biopsy: A bone marrow biopsy verifies how many cells your body has, along with identifying where they grow. Your healthcare provider removes and examines a small sample of your bone marrow. Cell production begins in your bone marrow, so a biopsy determines if your body is producing a healthy amount of cells or if there are certain conditions present.
Why Did My Doctor Order A Cbc
A complete blood count is frequently part of a routine medical screening, like when you see your primary healthcare provider for an annual physical exam. It is a lab test that analyzes a sample of blood, and it is useful for several reasons:
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It provides a broad picture of your overall health.
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Abnormal values may help detect underlying, undiagnosed health conditions that may not be causing any obvious symptoms.
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It can be used to look for specific conditions, like low blood counts or signs of an infection.
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New Phlebotomy Service Launched For People With Learning Difficulties
The new dedicated Phlebotomy service for people with learning disabilities from 12 years old and above who are resident of Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge has now been launched.
The main reason for this dedicated service is to promote easier and supported access for blood testing for people with a learning disability.
Please note that Hainault Health Centre, IG7 4DF, will be operating every Wednesday from 4 May 2022, 12.30-3.45pm
What Do The Results Mean
There are many reasons your blood differential test results may be higher or lower than normal. For example, a high white blood cell count may mean you have an infection, an immune disorder, leukemia, or an allergic reaction. A low count may be caused by bone marrow problems, reactions to medicines, or cancer.
But abnormal results don’t always mean you have a condition that needs medical treatment. Factors such as exercise, diet, alcohol level, medicines, and even a woman’s menstrual period can affect the results.
If your results seem abnormal, your provider may order more specific tests to help figure out the cause. To learn what your results mean, talk with your provider.
Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.
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