LAB TEST RESULTS

This information is supplied to help you understand some of the laboratory testing your Doctor may have ordered. Please consult Hillside Family Medicine with any questions you may have concerning your test results. The information presented here alone will not allow the accurate diagnosis of disease.

POTASSIUM Potassium is needed for proper nerve and muscle (including heart) function and helps regulate the water and electrolyte balance of the body. Potassium levels can be affected by kidney function, blood pH, the amount of potassium in the diet, hormone levels in the body, excessive vomiting, and certain medications (including potassium supplements).

SODIUM Like potassium, sodium is one of the most important minerals in the body. It is also an electrolyte, which means it carries an electrical charge when it is dissolved in blood. Sodium helps regulate the water and electrolyte balance of the body. Sodium also plays an important role in nerve and muscle functions.

CHLORIDE Chloride is another electrolyte in the blood. It helps balance the amount of fluid inside and outside cells. It also helps maintain the proper blood volume, blood pressure, and pH of body fluids.

CALCIUM Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. The body needs it to build and repair bones and teeth, make muscles contract, help nerves function, clot blood, and allow proper function of the heart. Almost all of the calcium in the body is stored in bone.

PHOSPHATE Phosphate is needed for bone growth, energy, fighting infection, and proper muscle function. The amount of blood phosphate affects the level of calcium in the blood. For this reason, phosphate and calcium levels are usually measured at the same time.

CREATINE Creatine is formed when food is converted into energy. Creatine is broken down into another substance called creatinine, which is filtered out of the blood by the kidneys and then passed out of the body in urine. Creatinine levels provide information about how well a person's kidneys are working.

BLOOD UREA NITROGEN (BUN) A blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test measures the amount of nitrogen in the blood. It is done to estimate how well the kidneys are functioning.

BLOOD GLUCOSE Glucose is a type of sugar found in fruits and many other foods. Most of the carbohydrates that people eat are turned into glucose, which can be used for energy or stored in the liver and kidneys. It is the main source of energy used by the body. Blood glucose levels are measured to diagnose diabetes or to monitor its treatment.

TOTAL BILIRUBIN A bilirubin test is done to evaluate liver function, detect blockage of the bile ducts, and to diagnose conditions that cause increased destruction of red blood cells.

TOTAL PROTEIN A total serum protein test measures the total amount of protein in blood serum as well as the amounts of albumin and another protein called globulin. The total amount of serum protein and the amounts of albumin and globulin can help a doctor diagnose certain diseases.

ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE (ALP) Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is an enzyme used primarily to detect diseases of the liver and bone.

ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE (ALT) Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is an enzyme found mainly in the liver. ALT is measured to determine if the liver is damaged or diseased.

ASPARTATE AMNIOTRANSFERASE (AST) Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) is an enzyme found mainly in the liver. When an organ or body tissue (such as the liver) is diseased or damaged, additional AST is released into the bloodstream. The amount of AST in the blood is directly related to the extent of the tissue damage. The ratio of AST to ALT sometimes can help determine the cause of liver damage.

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

WHITE BLOOD CELL (WBC) White blood cells protect the body against infection. If an infection develops, white blood cells attack and destroy the bacteria, virus, or other organism causing it. When a person has a bacterial infection, the number of white cells can increase dramatically. The white blood cell count shows the number of white blood cells in a sample of blood. The number of white blood cells is sometimes used to identify an infection or to monitor the body's response.

HEMATOCRIT This test measures the amount of space red blood cells occupy in the blood. The value is given as a percentage of red blood cells in a volume of blood. For example, a hematocrit of 38 means that 38% of the blood's volume is composed of red cells.

HEMOGLOBIN (HGB) Hemoglobin is the major substance in a red blood cells. It carries oxygen and gives the blood cell it's red color. The hemoglobin test measures the amount of hemoglobin in blood and is a good indication of the blood's ability to carry oxygen throughout the body.

PLATELET (THROMBOCYTE) Platelets (thrombocytes) are the smallest type of blood cell. They play a major role in blood clotting. When bleeding occurs, the platelets swell, clump together, and form a sticky plug that helps stop the bleeding.

PROSTATE-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN (PSA) Prostate-specific antigen is a substance released into a man's blood by his prostate gland. Low amounts of PSA may be found in the blood of healthy men. The amount of PSA in the blood normally increases as a man's prostate enlarges with age. It is also increased by inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis) and by prostate cancer.