4 Facts About Blood Chemistry Tests for Students in Medical Lab Tech Courses
May 25, 2018
1. It Helps Doctors Diagnose Diabetes by Determining Glucose Levels
Glucose is one of the most important parts of the BMP. It’s a sugar which provides the body with most of its energy, making it a vital aspect of health. Fasting is often required before these sugar level tests take place, in order to provide more accurate results. Medical lab tech training teaches students to analyze plasma glucose in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), and these results are crucial in determining important information, such as whether the patient has diabetes.
Blood testing is a the common means of diagnosing diabetes
70-99 mg/dL is a normal result; 100-125 mg/dL is seen as a prediabetic stage while even higher results help doctors diagnose diabetes. This condition can have a significant impact on a patient’s life and health, so early diagnosis with the help of blood chemistry testing is important.
2. Blood Chemistry Testing Helps to Discover Many More Medical Conditions
Calcium is also analyzed during blood chemistry tests. Unusual levels of this mineral can lead to bone disease, kidney disease, and many other illnesses. Sodium levels are measured to avoid heart or kidney trouble, while abnormal carbon dioxide levels may appear after respiratory disease, diarrhea, and much more.
Some minerals and chemicals are particularly important while checking kidney health. Blood chemistry tests measure blood urea nitrogen (BUA) and creatinine, which healthy kidneys are able to filter out of the body. Unusual levels of these components can represent kidney disease/disorder.
3. Professionals With Medical Lab Tech Training Make Blood Testing Procedures Quick
Blood tests only take a couple of minutes to complete, which reduces the stress experienced by the patient. Blood is either taken from a vein in the arm or drawn from a finger prick. Finding a vein can sometimes be tricky, but medical professionals are able to locate one by slightly restricting blood flow around the upper part of the arm.
Once the needle is inserted, the blood is collected into a test tube. The contents of this test tube are then analyzed by grads of medical lab tech courses, who check the quality of the blood sample.
4. Medical Lab Technicians may Have to Carry out Follow up Blood Tests
Team structures encourage lab technicians to improve their work
After the sample has been analyzed in a lab, the results are sent to a doctor who checks whether they reflect a bigger medical problem. The first test is usually not enough to provide a clear diagnosis, however. Abnormal results often require a second test, in order to make sure that the correct treatment is selected for the patient. Blood tests can detect and stop the development of dangerous medical issues at an early stage, which is part of what makes a medical lab technician career so rewarding.
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