Laboratory
Coteau des Prairies Hospital has a specialized laboratory using the modern medical technology and instrumentation. Specially training and registered Medical Labortory Technologists and Technicians perform vital diagnostic testing for identifying, treating, and monitoring patient care.
Some of the specialized tests performed determine the condition and/or status of the heart, liver, thyroid, and kidneys, and whether a drug level is toxic or therapeutic. Other tests indicate if an illness is bacterial or viral, if the patient is anemic or has a bleeding disorder and required a blood transfusion, and what bacteria causes infection so it can be treated properly.
Common Lab Tests
Common lab tests performed at CDP include the following:
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is different from most tests in that it is not used to diagnose or monitor a disease, but is ued to estimate risk of developing a disease - specifically heart disease. Because high blood cholesterol has been associated with hardening of the arteris, heart disease and a raised risk of death from heart attacks, cholesterol testing is considered a routine part of preventive health care.
Cholesterol testing is recommended as a screening test to be done on all adults at least once every five years. It is usually ordered as part of a routine physical exam. It may be ordered alone or in combination with other tests including HDL, LDL, and triglycerides - often called a lipid profile.
Cholesterol is tested at more frequent intervals (often several times per year) in patients who have been prescribed diet and/or drugs to lower their cholesterol. The test is used to track how well these measures are succeeding in lowering cholesterol to desired levels and in turn lowering the risk of developing heart disease.
Triglycerides
Blood tests for triglycerides are usually part of a lipid profile used to identify the risk of heart disease. If you are diabetic, it is especially important to have triglycerides measured as part of any lipid testing since triglycerides increase significantly when blood sugar is out of control.
Lipid profiles, including triclycerides, are recommended as routine tests to evaluate risk of heart disease in healthy adults. The test for triglycerides is not often ordered alone since risk of heart disease is based on cholesterol levels, not triclycerides. However, if you have been found to have high triglycerides and are being treated for it, a triglyceride test may be ordered to see if treatment is working.
HDL
The test of HDL cholesterol is used to determine your risk of heart disease. If a high cholesterol is due to high HDL, a person is probably at low risk and further testing or treatment for high cholesterol is not advised. HDL is usually ordered with other tests, either with cholesterol or as part of a lipid profile, including LDL and triglycerides. The combination of total cholesterol and HDL is very useful for screening for heart disease since it is not necessary to fast for these two tests. In contrast, a more complete lipid profile requires fasting for at least 12 hours.
PSA
The PSA blood screen is used as a prostate cancer indicator. Measurign the ratio of free-PSA to total PSA in the patient's blood provides additional information that helps your doctor distinguish prostate cancer from benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) and other non-cancer related causes of high PSA. This ratio may also help predict whether the prostate cancer is an agressive, fast-growing disease or a slow-growing non-aggressive form of the disease. The American Cancer Society recommends annual PSA and digital rectal exams for all men beginning at the age of 50. Men who have an increased risk for prostate cancer (such as American men of African descent and men with a family history of the the disease) should start getting tested earlier, usually at age 40 or 45.
Glucose
Glucose testing is most commonly used to diagnose and manage diabetes. Since glucose levels in the blood vary with eating patterns, the most useful testing for diabetes is done when you are fasting - meaning that you have had nothing to eat or drink except water for 8 hours before the test. Glucose testing can be used to screen healthy individuals for diabetes, because diabetes is a common disease that begins with a few symptoms. Screening is especially important for people at a high risk of developing diabetes - those with a family history of diabetes, those who are overweight, and those who are more than 40 years old.
Glucose testing is also ordered in patients who complain of symptoms that suggest diabetes, such as excessive thirst, weight loss, and frequent urination. When these symptoms appear, a person may have already had diabetes for several years. Glucose testing is also performed during pregnancy, because durign this time some women develop a temporary type of diabetes called gestational diabetes.
Urinalysis
The test is performed on a fresh urine specimen. It is best if the specimen is collected in the Lab to assure proper container and collection protocol. Some of the urine constituents checked are: pH, glucose, bilirubin, presence of white blood cells or red blood cells. Results should be evaluated by a physician or other healthcare practioner to determine if further testing is needed.
TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)
TSH testing is used to: diagnose a thyroid disorder in a person with symptoms; screen healthy adults for thyroid disorders as recommended by the American Thyroid Association; screen newborns for an underactive thyroid,; monitor thyroid replacement therapy in people with hypothyroidism; and diagnose and monitor female infertility problems.