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Alcoholism Learning Center
Tests could include:
- History and Physica...
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Blood Alcohol Test
- Toxicology Screenin...
- Serum Albumin Test
- Liver Function Tests
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CAGE Questionnaire for Alcoholism Screening
- Serum Protein Elect...
- Serum Gamma-glutamy...
- Serum Alanine Amino...
- Serum Aspartate Ami...
- Serum Bilirubin Lev...
- Platelet Count
- Prothrombin Time As...
- Serum Alkaline Phos...
- Serum Magnesium Mea...
- Serum Folic Acid Me...
- Serum Uric Acid Mea...
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(One drink is defined as a 12-ounce bottle of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or a 1 1/2-ounce shot of liquor.)
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The DSM-IV breaks substance abuse into specific criteria that can be of aid in diagnosing a substance abuse problem. These criteria are paraphrased here to relate to alcoholism. At least one of the following must have manifested itself within a 12...
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The diagnosis of alcoholism is usually based on the patient's drinking history, a thorough physical examination, laboratory findings, and the results of psychodiagnostic assessment.
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The diagnosis of alcoholism is usually based on the patient's drinking history, a thorough physical examination, laboratory findings, and the results of psychodiagnostic assessment.
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Two different types of alcohol-related difficulties have been identified. The first is called alcohol dependence , which refers to a person who literally depends on the use of alcohol. Three of the following traits must be present to diagnose alco...
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As noted, behavioral symptoms help to determine the diagnosis, but not usually until the second and third stage of the disease. There are assessments available that can provide both earlier identification and intervention for childhood alcoholism....
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Two different types of trouble with alcohol are identified. The first is called alcohol dependence, and refers to a person who is physiologically dependent on the use of alcohol. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorde...
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During a physical examination, a health care provider studies a patient's body to determine the presence or absence of physical problems. A typical physical examination includes: Inspection (looking at the body; Palpation (feeling the body with ha...
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The health status of populations and of individuals is assessed for many reasons. Assessing needs for care helps guide the allocation of resources— diagnostic assessments guide treatment, prognostic assessments contribute to planning, and assessin...
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A toxicology screen refers to various tests to determine the type and approximate amount of legal and illegal drugs a person has taken.
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Drug testing is the assessing of drug use (or non-use) by a person. The drugs for which one tests fall into three main types: illegal drugs, alcohol, and performance-enhancing drugs. Illegal drugs include marijuana , cocaine, amphetamines, and phe...
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Drug tests are analytical procedures that may be performed on blood , urine, or gastric fluid for the purpose of identifying an unknown drug or measuring the concentration of a specific drug.
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Urine drug screening, or toxicological screening, is a process of chemical analysis designed to test patients for drug abuse, or to insure that a patient is substance-free before undergoing a medical procedure.
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Because of the growing use of illicit drugs and the abuse of prescription drugs and alcohol in modern society, an extensive program of worksite drug testing has developed. Workers who abuse drugs are much more likely to injure themselves and put f...
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Albumin is a protein made by the liver. A serum albumin test measures the amount of this protein in the clear liquid portion of the blood.
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Common tests that are used to evaluate liver function include: Albumin; Alpha-1 antitrypsin; ALP; ALT; AST; Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT; Prothrombin time; Serum bilirubin; Urine bilirubin. Please see individual tests for details on how each...
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Liver function tests, or LFTs, include tests for bilirubin, a breakdown product of hemoglobin, and ammonia, a protein byproduct that is normally converted into urea by the liver before being excreted by the kidneys. LFTs also commonly include test...
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Liver function tests, or LFTs, include tests that are routinely measured in all clinical laboratories. LFTs include bilirubin, a compound formed by the breakdown of hemoglobin; ammonia, a breakdown product of protein that is normally converted int...
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Liver function tests, or LFTs, include tests that are routinely measured in all clinical laboratories. LFTs include bilirubin, a compound formed by the catabolism of hemoglobin; ammonia, a product of protein catabolism that is normally converted i...
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Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is the most commonly used drug in the world. Pharmacologically, alcohol is classified as a central nervous system depressant. Like other depressants, in small doses alcohol slows heart rate and respiration, decreases mus...
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This test roughly measures the types of protein in the fluid (serum) part of a blood sample. See also: Immunoelectrophoresis - serum; Immunofixation - serum; Serum globulin electrophoresis.
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Electrophoresis is a technique used to separate the different components (fractions) of a mixture, such as proteins in a biological sample. Separation is based on differences in the charge (and sometimes size) of the molecules, which determines th...
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Electrophoresis is a technique used to separate different elements (fractions) of a blood sample into individual components. Serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) is a screening test that measures the major blood proteins by separating them into fi...
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Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) is a test to measure the amount of the enzyme GGT in the blood.
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Alanine transaminase (ALT) is an enzyme found in the highest amounts in the liver. Injury to the liver results in release of the substance into the blood. This article discusses the test to measure the amount of ALT in the blood.
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AST (aspartate aminotransferase) is an enzyme found in high amounts in heart muscle and liver and skeletal muscle cells. It is also found in lesser amounts in other tissues. This article discusses the test to measure the amount of AST in the blood.
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The Aspartate aminotransferase test measures levels of AST, an enzyme released into the blood when certain organs or tissues, particularly the liver and heart, are injured. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) is also known as serum glutamic oxaloacet...
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Bilirubin is a yellowish pigment found in bile, a fluid produced by the liver. This article discusses the laboratory test done to measure bilirubin in the blood. Total and direct bilirubin are usually measured to screen for or to monitor liver or ...
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Monitors the liver function of newborns. The bilirubin test is a blood test to monitor the liver function of newborns. The rapid destruction of red blood cells after birth produces more bilirubin than the infant's liver can handle, causing some ja...
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A platelet count is a test to measure how many platelets you have in your blood. Platelets help the blood clot. They are smaller than red or white blood cells.
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A platelet count is a diagnostic test that determines the number of platelets in the patient's blood. Platelets, which are also called thrombocytes, are small disk-shaped blood cells produced in the bone marrow and involved in the process of blood...
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Prothrombin time (PT) is a blood test that measures the time it takes for the liquid portion (plasma) of your blood to clot. See also: Partial thromboplastin time (PTT)
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The prothrombin time test belongs to a group of blood tests that assess the clotting ability of blood. The test is also known as the pro time or PT test.
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Hemostasis has been described as "a process by which the body spontaneously stops bleeding and maintains blood in the fluid state within the vascular compartment." There are at least four major systems that are involved in this complex process: th...
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Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a protein found in all body tissues. Tissues with particularly high amounts of ALP include the liver, bile ducts, and bone. A blood test can be done to measure the level of ALP. See also: ALP isoenzyme test
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Alkaline phosphatase is an enzyme found throughout the body. Like all enzymes, it is needed, in small amounts, to trigger specific chemical reactions. When it is present in large amounts, it may signify bone or liver disease or a tumor.
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A serum magnesium test is a measurement of how much magnesium there is in the blood.
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Folic acid is a type of B vitamin. This article discusses the test to measure the amount of folic acid in the blood. See also: Folic acid in diet
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Uric acid is a chemical created when the body breaks down substances called purines. Purines are found in some foods and drinks, such as liver, anchovies, mackerel, dried beans and peas, beer, and wine. Most uric acid dissolves in blood and travel...
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