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In most cases, the sign of jaundice is identified based on the appearance of the patient's sclera and complexion. The liver and spleen are palpated to check for enlargement and to evaluate any abdominal pain. The location and severity of abdominal...
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In many cases, the diagnosis of jaundice is suggested by the appearance of the patient's eyes and complexion. The doctor will ask the patient to lie flat on the examining table in order to feel (palpate) the liver and spleen for enlargement and to...
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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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Urinalysis is the physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of urine. It involves a number of tests to detect and measure various compounds that pass through the urine.
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Urinalysis is a diagnostic physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of a urine sample (specimen). Specimens can be obtained by normal emptying of the bladder (voiding) or by a hospital procedure called catheterization.
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A urinalysis is a group of manual and/or automated qualitative and semi-quantitative tests performed on a urine sample. A routine urinalysis usually includes the following tests: color, transparency, specific gravity, pH, protein, glucose, ketones...
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A urinalysis is a group of manual and/or automated qualitative and semi-quantitative tests performed on a urine sample. A routine urinalysis usually includes the following tests: color, transparency, specific gravity, pH, protein, glucose, ketones...
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The urine specimen collection is a procedure used to obtain a sample of urine from a patient for diagnostic tests.
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Urinalysis is an important test used in diagnosing diseases of the genitourinary tract. Urine is examined for pH and specific gravity by chemical and direct microscopic methods. The presence and concentration of various chemicals such as proteins,...
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Urine typically contains epithelial cells shed from the urinary tract. Urine cytology evaluates this urinary sediment for the presence of cancerous cells from the lining of the urinary tract, and it is a convenient noninvasive technique for follow...
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A urine dipstick is a colorimetric chemical assay that can be used to determine the pH, specific gravity, protein, glucose, ketone, bilirubin, urobilinogen, blood, leukocyte, and nitrite levels of an individual's urine. It consists of a reagent st...
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Partial thromboplastin time (PTT) is a blood test that looks at how long it takes for blood to clot. It can help tell if you have bleeding or clotting problems.
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The partial thromboplastin time (PTT) test is a blood test that is done to investigate bleeding disorders and to monitor patients taking an anticlotting drug (heparin).
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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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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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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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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 bilirubin test is a diagnostic blood test performed to measure levels of bile pigment in an individual's blood serum and to help evaluate liver function.
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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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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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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 catabolism of hemoglobin; ammonia, a product of protein catabolism that is normally converted i...
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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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The hepatitis virus panel is a series of blood tests used to detect current or past infection by hepatitis A, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C. It can screen blood samples for more than one kind of hepatitis virus at the same time. Antibody and antigen...
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Viral hepatitis is any type of liver inflammation caused by a viral infection. The three most common viruses now recognized to cause liver disease are hepatitis A , hepatitis B , and hepatitis non-A, non-B (also called hepatitis C ). Several other...
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Viral hepatitis is any type of liver inflammation caused by a viral infection . The three most common viruses now recognized to cause liver disease are hepatitis A (infectious hepatitis), hepatitis B (serum hepatitis), and hepatitis C (non-A, non-...
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A complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following: The number of red blood cells (RBCs; The number of white blood cells (WBCs; The total amount of hemoglobin in the blood; The fraction of the blood composed of red blood cells (hematocrit; T...
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One of the most commonly ordered clinical laboratory tests, a blood count, also called a complete blood count (CBC), is a basic evaluation of the cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets) suspended in the liquid part of the blood (...
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A complete blood count (CBC) is a series of tests used to evaluate the composition and concentration of the cellular components of blood. It consists of the following tests: red blood cell (RBC) count, white blood cell (WBC) count, and platelet co...
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A complete blood count (CBC) is a series of tests used to evaluate the composition and concentration of the cellular components of blood. It consists of the following tests: red blood cell (RBC) count, white blood cell (WBC) count, and platelet co...
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The clinical laboratory test that evaluates the three main cellular components of peripheral blood (red cells, white cells, and platelets) is called the "complete blood count" (CBC). It is used commonly to assess whether a patient is anemic (low r...
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Abdominal ultrasound is an imaging procedure used to examine the internal organs of the abdomen, including the liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, and kidneys. The blood vessels that lead to some of these organs can also be looked at with ultras...
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Abdominal ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves to produce two-dimensional images of the body's soft tissues, which are used for a variety of clinical applications, including diagnosis and guidance of treatment procedures. Ultrasound does not...
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Abdominal ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves to produce two-dimensional images of the body's soft tissues, which are used for a variety of clinical applications, including diagnosis and guidance of treatment procedures. Ultrasound does not...
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Ultrasound technology allows doctors to "see" inside a patient without resorting to surgery. A transmitter sends high frequency sound waves into the body, where they bounce off the different tissues and organs to produce a distinctive pattern of e...
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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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