There may be occasion where a doctor will require blood work to be done on you concerning a specific injury or medical condition and for some people, regular blood testing may be part of their annual physical. Doctors may request blood testing be done for a number of reasons, both to identify problems, confirm diagnosis, or just to ensure all is well with one’s health.
Typically, the primary reasons for blood tests include:
- A test to ensure the functionality of vital organs including the heart, the liver, the kidneys, and the thyroid
- Diagnostic for diseases including cancer, diabetes, anemia, coronary heart disease, and HIV/AIDS
- Diagnostic testing for pregnancy
- Diagnostic testing for drug use
- Determination for heart disease risk factors
- Confirmation of effectiveness of medications
- Test for the ability of proper clotting of the blood
Blood tests involve a trained medical technician extracting a small amount of blood which is most often drawn from a vein in the arm. Finger pricks may also be used to produce a small amount of blood. Most patients do not experience any significant problems during or after blood tests. There may be irritation or bruising at the site where the needle was inserted.
The blood sample is sent to a laboratory for analysis. Different manipulations of the blood sample are done depending on the purpose of the test. In addition to blood testing, a medical diagnosis must also consider other factors such as past medical history, vital signs, current symptoms, and the testing results from other procedures.