Blood Tests
Rationale &
Instructions
In the realm of modern healthcare, blood tests have emerged as indispensable tools within the scope of physical examinations. These tests provide valuable insights into an individual's health status, enabling healthcare professionals to assess a wide range of physiological parameters. However, like any medical intervention, blood tests carry both advantages (e.g., early disease detection, comprehensive health assessment, objective monitoring of chronic conditions based on biomarkers, and personalized treatment) and disadvantages (e.g., false positive/negative results, invasive nature, cost, accessibility, and overdiagnosis and treatment)1,2. It is a dual edge sword. Striking a balance between harnessing the benefits of blood tests and mitigating their drawbacks is essential for informed decision-making in the context of physical examinations. Ultimately, the judicious use of blood tests, guided by evidence-based medicine and individualized healthcare, can contribute significantly to optimizing patient care and well-being. The decision to have blood tests accompanying physical examinations is a conversation that all individuals must have with their primary care doctors.
1 Carr, T. (2019) Pros and Cons of 18 Medical Tests - Consumer Reports
2 8 Pros and Cons of Blood Testing
- HRF (healthresearchfunding.org)
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Scoring based on most recent data provided by your attending
physician or medical technology laboratories |
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For all items below score 0 if within normal range, or if test
is irrelevant to age group, otherwise 1. |
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Analyte |
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Glucose |
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Urea Nitrogen (BUN) |
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Creatinine |
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EGFR |
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BUN/Creatinine ratio |
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Sodium |
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Potassium |
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Chloride |
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Carbon dioxide |
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Calcium |
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Protein total |
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Albumin |
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Globulin |
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Albumin/Globulin ratio |
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Bilirubin. Total |
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Alkaline phosphatase |
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AST |
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ALT |
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For all items below score 0 if within normal range, or if test
is irrelevant to age group, otherwise 1. |
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Analyte |
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Cholesterol, total |
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HDL cholesterol |
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Triglycerides |
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LDL cholesterol |
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Cholesterol/HDL ratio |
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Non-HDL cholesterol |
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Vitamin D |
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Vitamin B12 |
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Vitamin B6 |
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Folic acid |
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Magnesium |
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Zinc |
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Selenium |
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For all items below score 0 if within normal range, or if test
is irrelevant to age group, otherwise 1. |
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Analyte |
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White blood cell count |
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Red blood cell count |
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Hemoglobin |
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Hematocrit |
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Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) |
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Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) |
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Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) |
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Red cell distribution width (RDW) |
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Platelet count |
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Mean platelet volume (MPV) |
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Absolute neutrophils |
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Absolute lymphocytes |
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Absolute monocytes |
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Absolute eosinophils |
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Absolute basophils |
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Neutrophils |
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Lymphocytes |
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Monocytes |
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Eosinophils |
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Basophils |
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Total score |
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Reminder: Accumulated
score of zero requires no further action. The user is encouraged to discuss
with a healthcare provider any line items scored as 1 and proceed with remedial
actions as appropriate. Save or print the table. All forms will reset to blank
state once the user exits the website.
"Prevention is better than
cure" Desiderius Erasmus