Howstuffworks "Explanations of Medical Tests"

EXPLANATIONS

• Animals

• Auto

• Business & Money

• Communication

• Computer

• Electronics

• Entertainment

• Food & Recipes

• Geography

• Health

–

Diseases and Conditions

–

Drugs

–

Fitness

–

–

Health Insurance

–

Medical Animation

–

Medical Dictionary

–

Pregnancy

–

The Body

• History

• Home & Garden

• People

• Science

• Travel

EXPERT REVIEWS

PRICES

Shop HowStuffWorks

REFERENCE

VIDEO STUFF

REFERENCE LINKS

ADVERTISEMENT

Medical Dictionary:

Tests

Tests to diagnose a disease or medical condition can sometimes be invasive or frightening, but, like other medical procedures, tests are easier if you know what to expect. HowStuffWorks' Tests Dictionary and Reference Guide provides reliable, up-to-date information on all kinds of medical tests. Whether you need a blood test or a pregnancy test, learn about the equipment used, how to prepare for the test, what to expect at the doctor's office and whether any pain or discomfort will be involved.

Diseases and Conditions | Injuries | Nutrition | Poisons | Special Topics | Surgeries | Symptoms | Tests

Featured Tests:

Ultrasound involves the use of high-frequency sound waves to create images of organs and systems within the body.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive way to take pictures of the body.

Blood Pressure Test

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force applied to the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood through the body. The pressure is determined by the force and amount of blood pumped, and the size and flexibility of the arteries.

The pulse is measured at the wrist, neck, temple, groin, behind the knees, or on top of the foot. In these areas, an artery passes close to the skin.

The Tests Dictionary Library:

>

17-hydroxycorticosteroids Test

>

17-hydroxycorticosteroids Test

>

17-ketosteroids Test

>

17-ketosteroids Test

>

17-OH Progesterone Test

>

24-hour Urinary Aldosterone Excretion Rate Test

>

24-hour Urine Copper/Cu Test

>

24-hour Urine Protein Test

>

25-hydroxy Vitamin D Test

>

Abdominal CT Scan

>

>

>

>

Abdominal Ultrasound

>

Abdominal Wall Fat Pad Biopsy

>

Absolute Eosinophil Count

>

ACE Levels Test

>

Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody Test

>

Acid Loading Test (pH)

>

Acid Mucopolysaccharides

>

Acid-fast Stain Test

>

ACTH (Cortrosyn) Stimulation Test

>

>

>

Adrenalectomy Test

>

Aerobic Bacteria Test

>

Albumin - Serum Test

>

>

Aldosterone Test

>

>

ALP Isoenzyme Test

>

>

Alpha Fetoprotein Test

>

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Test

>

>

Aminoaciduria Test

>

Ammonium Ion Test

>

>

Amylase Blood Test

>

Amylase Urine Test

>

Anaerobic Bacteria Test

>

>

Anti-DNase B Test

>

Anti-glomerular Basement Membrane Test

>

Anti-insulin Antibody Test

>

Anti-smooth Muscle Antibody Test

>

>

Antimitochondrial Antibody Test

>

Antinuclear Antibody Panel

>

Antiparietal Cells Antibody Test

>

Antithrombin III

>

Antithyroglobulin Antibody Test

>

Antithyroid Microsomal Antibody Test

>

Aortic Angiography

>

>

Apolipoprotein B100 Test

>

Apolipoprotein CII Test

>

>

>

>

>

Aspergillosis Precipitin

>

Aspergillus Antigen Skin Test

>

>

>

Autoimmune Liver Disease Panel

>

B And T Cell Screen

>

B-cell Leukemia/lymphoma Panel

>

>

Bence-Jones Protein Test

>

>

Beta-carotene Test

>

>

Biliary Tract Biopsy

>

Bilirubin Blood Test

>

Bilirubin Urine Test

>

>

>

Bleeding Time Test

>

>

Blood Differential Test

>

Blood Gas Analysis

>

Blood Glucose Monitoring

>

Blood Lead Levels

>

Blood Pressure Test

>

>

>

Blood Uric Acid Test

>

Bone Lesion Biopsy

>

Bone Marrow Aspiration

>

Bone Marrow Biopsy

>

Bone Marrow Culture

>

Bone Mineral Density Test

>

>

>

Bowel Transit Time Test

>

Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) Test

>

>

Breast Ultrasound

>

Breath Alcohol Test

>

Bronchoscopic Culture

>

>

Bronchoscopy With Transbronchial Biopsy

>

>

>

C-reactive Protein (CRP) Test

>

C1 Esterase Inhibitor Test

>

>

>

Calcitonin Test

>

Calcium Urine Test

>

Caloric Stimulation

>

Campylobacter Serology Test

>

Capillary Nail Refill Test

>

Capillary Sample

>

Cardiac Catheterization

>

>

Carpal Tunnel Biopsy

>

Catecholamines Blood Test

>

Catecholamines Urine Test

>

Cathertized Specimen Urine Culture Test

>

>

Cerebral Angiography

>

Ceruloplasmin Test

>

Cervical Biopsy

>

>

>

>

>

>

Chloride Urine Test

>

Cholesterol Test

>

Chorionic Villus Sampling

>

Citric Acid Urine Test

>

Clean Catch Urine Culture Test

>

CMV Serology Test

>

Coccidioides Complement Fixation

>

Coccidioides Precipitin

>

Coccidioidin Or Spherulin Skin Test

>

Cold Knife Cone Biopsy

>

Cold Stimulation Test For Raynaud’s Syndrome

>

Colonic Tissue Biopsy Culture

>

>

Color Vision Test

>

Colposcopy-directed Biopsy

>

Complement Component 3 (C3) Test

>

Complement Fixation Test To C. Burnetii

>

Complement Test

>

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

>

>

Cord Blood Testing

>

Coronary Angiography

>

Coronary Risk Profile

>

>

Cortisol Urine Test

>

CPK Isoenzymes Test

>

>

Cranial CT Scan

>

Creatinine Clearance Test

>

Creatinine Urine Test

>

Cryoglobulins Test

>

>

>

>

CSF Coccidioides Complement Fixation

>

>

>

CSF Glucose Level

>

CSF Myelin Basic Protein Level

>

CSF Oligoclonal Banding Test

>

>

CSF Total Protein Test

>

>

>

>

Cystometric Study

>

>

Cytology Exam Of Pleural Fluid

>

Cytology Exam Of Urine

>

D-xylose Absorption Test

>

Delta-ALA Urine Test

>

Dental Plaque Identification At Home

>

>

Dexamethasone Suppression Test

>

DHEA-sulfate Serum

>

Diagnostic Laparoscopy

>

>

Digital Rectal Exam

>

>

>

Donath-Landsteiner Test

>

Doppler Ultrasound Exam of an Arm or Leg

>

Duodenal Tissue Biopsy Culture

>

Duplex Ultrasound

>

Ear Drainage Culture

>

Ear Examination

>

>

>

>

Electroconvulsive Therapy

>

Electrolytes Urine Test

>

Electromyography

>

Electronystagmography

>

Electroretinography

>

>

Endocervical Gram Stain

>

Endocervix Culture

>

Endometrial Biopsy

>

>

Endotracheal Intubation

>

>

Epstein-Barr Virus Test

>

>

Erection Self-test

>

Erythropoietin Test

>

Esophageal Biopsy Culture

>

Esophageal Manometry

>

Esophageal PH Monitoring

>

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)

>

>

>

Ethylene Glycol Test

>

Euglobulin Lysis Time Test

>

Exercise Stress Test

>

Extraocular Muscle Function Testing

>

Extremity Arteriography

>

Extremity X-ray

>

Eye And Orbit Ultrasound

>

Factor II Assay

>

Factor IX Assay

>

>

Factor VII Assay

>

Factor VIII Assay

>

>

Factor XII Assay

>

Febrile/cold Agglutinins Test

>

>

>

Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT)

>

>

>

Fetal Blood Testing

>

Fetal Heart Monitoring

>

Fetal-maternal Erythrocyte Distribution Test

>

Fibrin Degradation Products Test

>

Fibrinogen Test

>

Fibrinopeptide A (FPA) Test

>

Fluorescein Angiography

>

Fluorescein Eye Stain

>

Flushable Reagent Stool Blood Test

>

Folic Acid Test

>

Fractional Excretion of Sodium (FENa) Sample

>

>

>

Galactosemia Screen

>

Gallbladder Radionuclide Scan

>

Gallium (Ga.) Scan

>

Gastric Culture

>

Gastric Suction

>

Gastric Tissue Biopsy Culture

>

>

>

>

>

Glucose Tolerance Test

>

Glucose Urine Test

>

Glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase

>

Gram Stain Of Skin Lesion

>

Gram Stain Of Tissue Biopsy

>

Gram Stain Of Urethral Discharge

>

>

Growth Hormone Stimulation Test

>

Growth Hormone Suppression Test

>

Growth Hormone Test

>

>

Gynecologic Laparoscopy

>

>

>

Haptoglobin Test

>

>

HCG Blood Test (Quantitative)

>

HCG In Blood Serum (Qualitative)

>

HCG In Urine Test

>

>

>

Hematocrit (HCT)

>

Hemoglobin Derivatives Test

>

Hemoglobin Electrophoresis

>

Hemoglobin Test

>

Hemoglobinuria Test

>

Hepatitis Virus Test Or Panel

>

Herpes Viral Culture Of Lesion

>

Heterophil Agglutination Test

>

His Bundle Electrography

>

Histocompatibility Antigen Test

>

Histoplasma Complement Fixation

>

Histoplasma Skin Test

>

HIV ELISA/western Blot

>

HLA-B27 Antigen Test

>

Holter Monitoring

>

Home Vision Tests

>

>

Human Placental Lactogen (HPL) Test

>

>

>

Hysterosalpingography

>

Immunoelectrophoresis Comparison

>

Immunofluorescence

>

Infant Urine Collection Test

>

Insulin C-peptide Test

>

>

Intracardiac Electrophysiology Study (EPS)

>

Intracranial Pressure Monitoring

>

Intravenous Pyelogram

>

Ionized Calcium Test

>

>

Joint Fluid (Aspirate) Culture

>

Joint Fluid Gram Stain

>

>

>

Ketones Urine Test

>

Kidney Function Tests

>

Lactic Acid Test

>

Lactose Tolerance Test

>

>

>

Latex Agglutination Test

>

LDH Isoenzymes Test

>

>

>

>

Left Heart Catheterization

>

Left Heart Ventricular Angiography

>

Lepromin Skin Test

>

Leukocyte Alkaline Phosphatase Test

>

Leukocyte Esterase Test

>

>

LH Response To GnRH

>

>

>

Lipoprotein-a Test

>

>

Liver Function Tests

>

>

Lumbosacral Spine CT

>

Lumbosacral Spine MRI

>

Lumbosacral Spine X-ray

>

Lung Diffusion Testing

>

Lung Gallium (Ga.) Scan

>

Lung Needle Biopsy

>

Lung Needle Biopsy Culture

>

Lyme Disease Antibody Testing

>

Lymph Node Biopsy

>

Lymph Node Culture

>

>

Magnetic Resonance Angiography

>

>

Mediastinoscopy With Biopsy

>

Mental Status Tests

>

Mesenteric Arteriography

>

>

Methylene Blue Test

>

Methylmalonic Acid Test

>

Metyrapone Test

>

MIBG (iodine-131-meta-iodobenzylguanidine) Scintiscan

>

Microalbuminuria Test

>

Mononucleosis Spot Test

>

>

MRI Of The Head

>

>

Mycobacterial Culture Of Bone Marrow

>

Mycobacterial Culture Of Liver Biopsy

>

Mycobacterial Culture Of Suspected Non-pulmonary Site Of Pathology

>

Myocardial Biopsy

>

Nasal Mucosal Biopsy

>

Nasopharyngeal Culture

>

>

Neonatal Cystic Fibrosis Screening

>

>

Nerve Conduction Velocity

>

Newborn Screening Tests

>

Nitroblue Tetrazolium Test

>

Nuclear Ventriculography

>

Open Lung Biopsy

>

Open Pleural Biopsy

>

>

Oral Cholecystogram

>

>

Oropharynx Lesion Biopsy

>

Osmolality Blood Test

>

Osmolality Urine Test

>

Osmotic Fragility Test

>

>

Parathyroid Biopsy

>

>

Peak Expiratory Flow Rate Test

>

>

Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiogram

>

Pericardial Fluid Culture Test

>

Pericardial Fluid Gram Stain Test

>

Pericardiocentesis Test

>

Peritoneal Fluid Analysis Test

>

Peritoneal Fluid Culture Test

>

>

Plasma Amino Acids Test

>

Platelet Aggregation Test

>

Platelet Associated Antibodies Test

>

Platelet Count Test

>

Plethysmography

>

Pleural Fluid Analysis Test

>

Pleural Fluid Culture Test

>

Pleural Fluid Gram Stain Test

>

Pleural Fluid Smear Test

>

Pleural Needle Biopsy Test

>

>

Polysomnogram Test

>

Porphyrins Blood Test

>

Porphyrins Urine Test

>

>

Potassium Urine Test

>

>

>

Pregnancy Ultrasound

>

Pregnanedoil Test

>

Prolactin Blood Test

>

Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (PAP) Test

>

>

>

Prothrombin Time (PT) Test

>

>

>

PTH-related Protein Test

>

>

Pulmonary Angiography Test

>

Pulmonary Function Tests

>

Pulmonary Ventilation/perfusion Scan

>

>

Pyruvate Kinase Test

>

Quantitative Immunoglobulins - Nephelometry

>

Radioactive Abscess Scan

>

Radioactive Iodine Uptake Test

>

Radionuclide Cisternogram Test

>

Radionuclide Cystogram Test

>

RBC (nuclear) Scan Test

>

>

RBC Indices Test

>

>

>

Rectal Culture Test

>

Refraction Test

>

Renal Arteriography

>

>

Renal Perfusion Scintiscan Test

>

Renal Scan Test

>

Renal Venogram Test

>

>

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Antibodies Test

>

Reticulocyte Count Test

>

Retrograde Cystography Test

>

Rheumatoid Factor Test

>

Right Heart Ventriculography Test

>

Rotavirus Antigen Test

>

Routine Sputum Culture Test

>

>

>

Salivary Gland Biopsy

>

>

Schirmer's Test

>

Secretin Stimulation Test

>

>

Sensitivity Analysis

>

Serologic Test For B. Anthracis

>

>

Serology Test For Brucellosis

>

Serology Test For Tularemia

>

Serum Calcium Test

>

Serum Chloride Test

>

Serum Cholinesterase Test

>

Serum Chromium Test

>

>

Serum Creatinine

>

Serum Globulin Electrophoresis Test

>

Serum Hemoglobin Test

>

Serum Herpes Simplex Antibodies Test

>

Serum Immunoelectrophoresis

>

Serum Immunofixation

>

Serum Iron Test

>

>

Serum Leucine Aminopeptidase

>

Serum Magnesium - Test

>

Serum Myoglobin

>

Serum Phenylalanine Screening

>

Serum Phosphorus Test

>

Serum Progesterone Test

>

Serum Protein Electophoresis Test

>

Serum Serotonin Level Test

>

Serum Sodium Test

>

Serum TBG Level Test

>

>

Sickle Cell Test

>

>

>

>

Skin Lesion Aspiration Test

>

Skin Lesion Biopsy

>

Skin Lesion KOH Exam

>

Skin Or Mucosal Biopsy Culture Test

>

>

Skin Test Anergy

>

>

>

Small Bowel Biopsy Test

>

Small Bowel Tissue Biopsy Smear Test

>

Small Intestinal Aspirate And Culture Test

>

Smear Of Duodenal Fluid Aspirate Test

>

>

Sputum DFA (direct Fluorescent Antibody)

>

Sputum Gram Stain

>

Sputum Smear (KOH Test)

>

Sputum Stain For Mycobacteria

>

Standard Ophthalmic Exam

>

Stomach Acid Test

>

Stool C. Difficile Toxin

>

Stool Gram Stain Test

>

Stool Guaiac Test

>

Stool Ova And Parasites Exam

>

Streptococcal Screen Test

>

Stress Echocardiography Test

>

>

Sugar-water Hemolysis Test

>

Swan-Ganz Right Heart Catheterization Test

>

Sweat Electrolytes Test

>

Synovial Biopsy Test

>

Synovial Fluid Analysis Test

>

T (thymus Derived) Lymphocyte Count Test

>

>

>

Temperature Measurement

>

>

>

Testicle Ultrasound

>

Testicular Biopsy

>

Testicular Self-examination

>

Thallium And Sestamibi Stress Tests

>

Therapeutic Drug Levels Test

>

Thoracentesis Test

>

Thoracic CT Test

>

Thoracic Spine X-ray

>

Throat Swab Culture Test

>

Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration

>

Thyroid Function Tests

>

Thyroid Scan Test

>

Thyroid Ultrasound

>

>

>

TORCH Screen Test

>

Total Iron Binding Capacity Test

>

Total Protein Test

>

Toxicology Screen Test

>

Toxoplasma Test

>

Transillumination Test

>

Transvaginal Ultrasound

>

TRAP - Tartrate Resistant Acid Phosphatase Test

>

Triglyceride Level Test

>

Trypsin And Chymotrypsin In Stool Test

>

Trypsinogen Test

>

>

>

Tuberculin Tine Test

>

Tympanometry Test

>

>

>

Upper Airway Biopsy

>

Upper GI And Small Bowel Series Test

>

Ureteral Retrograde Brush Biopsy Cytology

>

Urethral Discharge Culture Test

>

Urinalysis Test

>

Urinary Casts Test

>

Urine 24-hour Volume Test

>

Urine Chemistry Test

>

Urine Concentration Test

>

Urine Drug Screen Test

>

Urine Immunoelectrophoresis

>

Urine Immunofixation

>

Urine Leucine Aminopeptidase

>

Urine Melanin Test

>

Urine Myoglobin

>

Urine Odor Test

>

>

Urine Protein Electrophoresis Test

>

Urine Protein Test

>

Urine Sodium Test

>

Urine Specific Gravity Test

>

Urine Urea Nitrogen Test

>

Urine Uric Acid Test

>

Uroflometry Test

>

>

VenipunctureTest

>

Venogram Leg Test

>

>

Virtual Colonoscopy

>

Visual Acuity Test

>

Visual Field Test

>