Lab Tests Explained

Understand what 301 common lab tests measure and what your results may mean. Every explanation is sourced from NIH MedlinePlus.

• 17-Hydroxyprogesterone
• ADHD Screening
• ALT Blood Test
• ANA (Antinuclear Antibody) Test
• AST Test
• Acetaminophen Level
• Acid-Fast Bacillus (AFB) Tests
• Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH)
• Albumin Blood Test
• Alcohol Use Screening Tests
• Aldosterone Test
• Alkaline Phosphatase
• Allergy Blood Test
• Allergy Skin Test
• Alpha Fetoprotein (AFP) Tumor Marker Test
• Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Testing
• Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) Test
• Ammonia Levels
• Amniocentesis (amniotic fluid test)
• Amylase Test
• Anion Gap Blood Test
• Anoscopy
• Anti-Müllerian Hormone Test
• Antibiotic Sensitivity Test
• Antibody Serology Tests
• Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies (ANCA) Test
• Appendicitis Tests
• Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) Test
• At-Home Medical Tests
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Screening
• Autoantibody Testing
• Autonomic Testing
• BCR-ABL1 Genetic Test
• BRAF Genetic Test
• BRCA Genetic Test
• BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen)
• Bacteria Culture Test
• Bacterial Vaginosis Test
• Balance Tests
• Barium Swallow
• Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP)
• Beta 2 Microglobulin (B2M) Tumor Marker Test
• Bilirubin Blood Test
• Bilirubin in Urine
• Blood Differential
• Blood Glucose Test
• Blood Smear
• Blood in Urine
• Bone Density Scan
• Bone Marrow Tests
• Breast Biopsy
• Bronchoscopy and Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL)
• Burn Evaluation
• C-Peptide Test
• C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Test
• C. diff Testing
• CA 19-9 Blood Test (Pancreatic Cancer)
• CA-125 Blood Test (Ovarian Cancer)
• CCP Antibody Test
• CD4 Lymphocyte Count
• CEA Test
• CSF Immunoglobulin G (IgG) Index
• Calcitonin Test
• Calcium Blood Test
• Calcium in Urine Test
• Calprotectin Stool Test
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in Blood
• Catecholamine Tests
• Celiac Disease Screening
• Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Analysis
• Ceruloplasmin Test
• Chickenpox and Shingles Tests
• Chlamydia Test
• Chloride Blood Test
• Cholesterol Levels
• Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS)
• Chymotrypsin in Stool
• Coagulation Factor Tests
• Cognitive Testing
• Cold Stimulation Test
• Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests
• Colposcopy
• Complement Blood Test
• Complete Blood Count (CBC)
• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
• Concussion Tests
• Cord Blood Testing and Banking
• Cortisol Test
• Creatine Kinase
• Creatinine Test
• Crystals in Urine
• Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Tests
• D-Dimer Test
• DHEA Sulfate Test
• Dengue Fever Test
• Dental Exam
• Depression Screening
• Developmental and Behavioral Screening Tests
• Diabetes Tests
• Diabetic Foot Exam
• Differential Diagnosis
• Doppler Ultrasound
• Down Syndrome Tests
• Drug Testing
• Drug Use Screening Tests
• Dysphagia Tests
• Elastography
• Electrocardiogram
• Electrolyte Panel
• Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies
• Epithelial Cells in Urine
• Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)
• Esophageal pH Test
• Estrogen Levels Test
• Estrogen Receptor, Progesterone Receptor Tests
• Fall Risk Assessment
• Fasting for a Blood Test
• Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT)
• Ferritin Blood Test
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Screening
• Flu (Influenza) Test
• Fluoroscopy
• Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Levels Test
• Food Allergy Testing
• Free Light Chains
• Fungal Culture Test
• G6PD Test
• Galactosemia Tests
• Gamma-glutamyl Transferase (GGT) Test
• Gastric Emptying Tests
• Glaucoma Tests
• Globulin Test
• Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) Test
• Glucagon Blood Test
• Glucose in Urine Test
• Gonorrhea Test
• Gram Stain
• Growth Hormone Tests
• HER2 Tumor Marker Test
• HIV Screening Test
• HIV Viral Load
• Haptoglobin (HP) Test
• Hearing Tests for Adults
• Hearing Tests for Children
• Heart Disease Risk Assessment
• Heavy Metal Blood Test
• Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) Tests
• Hematocrit Test
• Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) Test
• Hemoglobin Electrophoresis
• Hemoglobin Test
• Hepatitis Testing
• Herpes (HSV) Test
• Homocysteine Test
• How to Cope with Medical Test Anxiety
• How to Prepare Your Child for a Lab Test
• How to Prepare for a Lab Test
• How to Understand Your Lab Results
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Test
• Hysteroscopy
• IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1) Test
• Immunoglobulins Blood Test
• Insulin in Blood
• Intravenous Pyelogram (IVP)
• Iron Tests
• Karyotype Genetic Test
• Ketones in Blood
• Ketones in Urine
• Kidney Stone Analysis
• Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) Isoenzymes Test
• Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) Test
• Lactate Test
• Lactose Tolerance Tests
• Laparoscopy
• Legionella Tests
• Lipase Tests
• Lipoprotein (a) Blood Test
• Liver Function Tests
• Lung Cancer Genetic Tests
• Lung Function Tests
• Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Levels Test
• Lyme Disease Tests
• MCV (Mean Corpuscular Volume)
• MPV Blood Test
• MRSA Tests
• MTHFR Gene Test
• Magnesium Blood Test
• Malaria Tests
• Measles and Mumps Tests
• Measuring Blood Pressure
• Meningococcal Disease Tests
• Mental Health Screening
• Methylmalonic Acid (MMA) Test
• Microalbumin Creatinine Ratio
• Mononucleosis (Mono) Tests
• Mucus in Urine
• Myasthenia Gravis Tests
• Myelography
• Nasal Swab
• Natriuretic Peptide Tests (BNP, NT-proBNP)
• Neurological Exam
• Nitrites in Urine
• Nonstress Test
• Obesity Screening
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Test
• Opioid Testing
• Osmolality Tests
• Ova and Parasite Test
• PCR Tests
• PDL1 (Immunotherapy) Tests
• PET Scan
• PTEN Genetic Test
• Panic Disorder Test
• Pap Smear
• Parainfluenza Tests
• Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) Test
• Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) Test
• Pharmacogenetic Tests
• Phenylketonuria (PKU) Screening
• Phosphate in Blood
• Phosphate in Urine
• Platelet Tests
• Pleural Fluid Analysis
• Pneumococcal Disease Tests
• Porphyrin Tests
• Postpartum Depression Screening
• Potassium Blood Test
• Prealbumin Blood Test
• Pregnancy Test
• Prenatal Cell-Free DNA Screening
• Prenatal Panel
• Procalcitonin Test
• Progesterone Test
• Prolactin Levels
• Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test
• Protein C and Protein S Tests
• Protein Electrophoresis by Immunofixation Blood Test
• Protein in Urine
• Prothrombin Time Test and INR (PT/INR)
• Pulse Oximetry
• RDW (Red Cell Distribution Width)
• Rapid Tests
• Rash Evaluation
• Red Blood Cell (RBC) Count
• Red Blood Cell (RBC) Indices
• Red Blood Cell Antibody Screen
• Renin Test
• Respiratory Pathogens Panel
• Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Tests
• Reticulocyte Count
• Rheumatoid Factor (RF) Test
• SHBG Blood Test
• Salicylates Level
• Semen Analysis
• Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
• Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Tests
• Skin Biopsy
• Skin Cancer Screening
• Sleep Study
• Smooth Muscle Antibody (SMA) Test
• Sodium Blood Test
• Sputum Culture
• Stool Elastase
• Strep A Test
• Strep B Test
• Stress Tests
• Suicide Risk Screening
• Sweat Test for Cystic Fibrosis
• Synovial Fluid Analysis
• Syphilis Tests
• TP53 Genetic Test
• TSH (Thyroid-stimulating hormone) Test
• Testosterone Levels Test
• Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
• Thyroglobulin
• Thyroid Antibodies
• Thyroxine (T4) Test
• Total Protein and Albumin/Globulin (A/G) Ratio
• Trichomoniasis Test
• Tricyclic Antidepressant (TCA) Screen
• Triglycerides Test
• Triiodothyronine (T3) Tests
• Troponin Test
• Tuberculosis Screening
• Tumor Marker Tests
• Ultrasound
• Uric Acid Test
• Urobilinogen in Urine
• V/Q Scan
• Videonystagmography (VNG)
• Vision Screening
• Vitamin B Test
• Vitamin D Test
• Vitamin E (Tocopherol) Test
• What You Need to Know About Blood Testing
• White Blood Cell (WBC) in Stool
• White Blood Count (WBC)
• Whooping Cough Tests
• Xylose Testing
• Yeast Infection Tests
• Zika Virus Test