Diagnostic Procedures Archives - Healthhype

HIV Lab Tests and Types of Testing for Diagnosis or Monitoring

Dr. Chris — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 22:40:19 +0000

HIV Lab Test vs Rapid Test HIV testing can be broadly divided between rapid tests and laboratory tests. The rapid test can be done at home or at a screening facility and a result is available within minutes. It should be followed through with laboratory testing should there be a positive result. Although rapid tests are convenient, inexpensive and very accurate, there are greater chances of a false-positive reading. This means that a person is detected as being HIV-positive although they are not infected. Rapid tests also have a greater chance of a false-negative during the window period, usually around 2 to 6 weeks after infection. A false-negative means that a person is HIV-positive but the antibodies against the virus has not as yet been detected. Rapid tests detect the HIV antibodies in a person’s bloodstream and provide a positive reading based on the presence of these antibodies. The term laboratory tests can sometimes be misleading because some rapid tests involves taking a sample of the blood, buccal cells, or rarely the urine and sending it to a laboratory for quick results. This procedure may not involve the participation of the doctor or other health care provider. However, it is [...]

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Brittle Bones Tests, Scans and Other Diagnostic Investigations

Dr. Chris — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 22:42:13 +0000

Screening for osteoporosis in high risk groups like postmenopausal women, elderly men, or patients on long-term corticosteroid therapy is always advisable for early detection. Management of osteoporosis also requires recording of the baseline values of parameters for monitoring the progress of osteoporosis therapy. The diagnostic procedure becomes more complex in younger patients without any known risk factors and therefore other uncommon causes of osteoporosis also have to be investigated these individuals. The most important investigations related to early detection and management of osteoporosis are radiological investigation, laboratory tests and biomarker studies. The traditional diagnostic tests for diagnosis of osteoporosis are radiological investigations. Radiological studies ranging from conventional radiography to complicated imaging studies may be used as an aid in diagnosis of osteoporosis. The gold standard osteoporosis diagnostic study is the bone mineral density (BMD) measurement. BMD measurement can be done with any of the imaging study options available. Common imaging study options available for BMD estimation include : single/double-photon absorptiometry (SPA/DPA) dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) quantitative computed tomography (QCT) scanning magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) EXA is the most commonly used method among the options available for measuring BMD. Best results of fracture risk assessment related to osteoporosis are obtained with [...]

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How To Do A Self Breast Exam – Visual, Standing, Lying Down

Dr. Chris — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:37:40 +0000

Introduction to Self Breast Exam Regular breast self-examination for women is often recommended by physicians as a means of checking for signs of breast cancer. Mammography is the most effective way of detecting breast cancer, but along with clinical breast examination by your doctor, a self breast exam is important in detecting any signs of abnormality and seeking medical attention. A home breast examination also makes a women more aware of her breasts, particularly the look and feel of the healthy breast, which will further aid in the early detection of any abnormality. If you have decided to conduct regular self examination of your breasts, it is advisable to first speak to your doctor or gynecologist to learn how to do it properly and what to look for. For women older than 40 years of age, a self breast exam should not replace a clinical examination by a doctor and a mammography, both of which should conducted on a regular basis. What is a Breast Self-Examination? Breast self-examination is a method consisting of various steps for a woman to detect any changes in the appearance and structure of her breasts. It is intended to assist women in : becoming familiar with [...]

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High Sugar (Glucose) Levels in Blood or Urine – What does it mean?

Dr. Chris — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 23:24:51 +0000

How does sugar get into the blood? All food that is digested and then absorbed travels through the bloodstream to the liver. Here it is processed further – some is broken down into simpler compounds, some is stored and others may be converted or even excreted. However, the body retains almost all of the macronutrients – carbohydrates, proteins and fats – in some form or the other. The cells in the body need a constant supply of nutrients to produce energy. This is mainly in the form of glucose, a type of simple sugar. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy in that it is broken down into simple sugars like glucose and then transported via the bloodstream to all the cells of the body for energy production. When carbohydrates are in short supply, the body will use proteins or fats which can also be converted into glucose. Sugar in the blood is therefore derived from : nutrients absorbed from the gut and on its way to the liver food broken down by the liver and glucose released to the body’s cells conversion of fats or protein into glucose for energy production when carbohydrates are in short supply How is [...]

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Chest X-Ray Guide, Abnormalities of Lung and Heart Diseases

Dr. Chris — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:03:04 +0000

What is a chest X-ray? A chest X-ray (CXR) or chest radiograph is an image obtained by passing ionizing X-rays (electromagnetic radiation) through the chest (thorax). This is helpful in screening and diagnosing various diseases of the organs in the thoracic cavity including the airways and alveoli (lungs), pleura, heart and blood vessels, bones, diaphragm, and certain gastrointestinal conditions. Although the chest X-ray is the most widely performed diagnostic imaging study, it does have several limitations. However, several other imaging studies are available as a follow up to the chest X-ray thereby providing better visualization of underlying disease. Chest X-Ray Views The x-ray of chest is may be taken from different angles based on the direction of passing the ionizing X-rays. It is referred to as ‘views’. Posterior-anterior (PA) view refers to X-ray images taken by allowing x-rays to pass from the back side of the body to the front side of chest and fall on the x-ray film placed in front of chest. This the most common view for diagnosing diseases of lung and chest. Anterior-posterior (AP) view refers to X-ray images taken by allowing the ionizing rays to pass from front to the back of the chest where [...]

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Bowel Examination (Tests, Scans, Scopes) Pictures, Diagnosis

Dr. Chris — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 23:20:21 +0000

Digestive problems are among the most common medical complaints. It can be acute where the symptoms last for a short period of time and resolve with/without treatment, or it can be chronic where the symptoms persist or occur episodically. Although the symptoms along with a case history may be sufficient for a diagnosis, at times additional diagnostic investigation may be necessary. Theses tests, scans and scopes are intended to identify the underlying problem in order to reach an accurate diagnosis and determine the most appropriate treatment. Bowel Diagnosis Not all digestive problems may be bowel problems. The gastrointestinal tract, or gut for short, starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. Food is consumed, digested and absorbed in the bowels, with waste substances being expelled as stool. But there are other organs that play an integral role in the functioning of the digestive system as a whole. This includes the liver, pancreas and gallbladder. The human gut is about 9 to 10 meters (29 to 32 feet) in length with the small intestines comprising about 6 meters (approximately 20 feet) and the large intestine being about 1.5 meters (around 5 feet). Most of the digestive organs are contained within [...]

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Small Bowel or Capsule Endoscopy – Procedure, Video and Pictures

Jan Modric — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:34:34 +0000

What Is Capsule Endoscopy? In capsule endoscopy, you swallow a pill-shaped camera (PillCam) that then travels through your gut and makes pictures of your small intestine (1). Picture 1. A capsule camera to swallow in capsule endoscopy (source: Wikipedia) A capsule camera is 28 mm (about an inch) long and 11 mm wide. It has a slippery coating when wet to ease swallowing a bit. The cost of the camera and procedure is about $500 (without insurance). When Is It Done? Capsule endoscopy may be done when small bowel disease like celiac or Crohn’s disease or bowel bleeding that cannot be detected by upper endoscopy or colonoscopy is suspected. Capsule endoscopy can be done in a patient after 10 years of age (2), including pregnant women (3). Preparation In days before the test you will have an appointment with your gastroenterologist to discuss about your symptoms, gastrointestinal diseases and surgeries you have had so far, eventual allergies and medications you are taking. You will probably need to discontinue some medications for some time before and during the test. You will need to fast completely (not eat and drink) for 12 hours before the start of the test. Procedure You will get a belt with a [...]

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Upper Endoscopy (Gastroscopy) Procedure, Video, Pictures, Cost

Jan Modric — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:22:08 +0000

Upper GI Endoscopy = Esophago-Gastro-Duodenoscopy (EGD) Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is a diagnostic procedure enabling your doctor to see inside your esophagus, stomach and duodenum (the first part of the small intestine), using a flexible viewing tube – gastroscope. Gastroscope has a light and camera on the end and enables direct observing, viewing on the monitor and taking pictures or videos. When Is Upper Endoscopy Done? Upper endoscopy may be used to find a cause of unexplained excessive belching, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, difficulty swallowing, upper abdominal pain, anemia (due to bleeding), poor appetite or unintended weight loss. With an upper endoscopy a doctor can detect: Esophageal varices (often in alcoholic liver cirrhosis) Inflammation of the esophagus and damage of esophagus in acid reflux (Barret’s esophagus) Hiatus hernia Gastritis (chronic gastritis caused by Helycobacter pylori), gastric ulcer and cancer Inflammation of the duodenum (often in celiac or Crohn’s disaese), duodenal ulcer and cancer Intestinal parasites, Whipple disease, systemic sclerosis, amyloidosis Possible therapeutic procedures during upper endoscopy: Stopping of bleeding from esophageal varices or gastric or duodenal ulcer or cancer Removing foreign objects Removing polyps Resolving (dilating) obstruction of esophagus or pylorus (an exit of the stomach) Contraindications for Upper Endoscopy Upper [...]

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Diagnostic Imaging of the Abdomen: X-Ray, Ultrasound, CT, MRI

Jan Modric — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:54:32 +0000

Plain X-Ray In severe acute abdominal pain, plain X-ray of the abdomen is usually the first investigation. X-ray can show: Kidney stones Gallstones (if they are large and calcified) Pancreatic calcifications (in pancreatic cyst or chronic pancreatitis) Air under the diaphragm (in stomach or bowel perforation) Air in the bowel (in bowel obstruction) No preparation is needed for the investigation. There are no absolute contraindications, but, if possible, abdominal X-ray should be avoided in females until the end of reproduction period and pregnant women to prevent radiation exposure. Abdominal Ultrasound In right upper abdominal pain, abdominal ultrasound is usually the first investigation. Endoscopic Ultrasound Endoscopic ultrasound is investigation with the ultrasound probe on the tip of the endoscope (1). Endoscopic ultrasound may be performed to evaluate: Bile duct obstruction (instead of ERCP or MRCP) Thickness of intestinal wall in suspected lymphoma Pancreatitis, pancreatic cyst and Pancreatic cancer Enlargement of lymph nodes around the intestine Aspiration of pancreatic cyst, lymph nodes around esophagus, and abdominal tumors is possible during the procedure. Fasting from the evening prior to investigation is required. Investigation is done under slight sedation and lasts 30-60 minutes. Patient is not allowed to drive after the procedure. Contraindications for [...]

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What Is Normal Blood Pressure Range? Blood Pressure Chart

Jan Modric — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:38:54 +0000

What Is Blood Pressure (BP)? Blood pressure, abbreviated BP, is the pressure of the blood against the arterial walls. Blood pressure results from the force of the heart that pumps the blood into the arteries, and the force of the arteries as they resist the blood flow. Why Are Two Values in the Blood Pressure Reading? Blood pressure is expressed with two values, separated by a slash and with a unit (mm Hg), for example 125/85 mm Hg; pronounced “125 over 85 millimeters of mercury” (according to height of a column in a blood pressure monitor). The first (higher) value (125) represents blood pressure during the heart contraction (systole in Greek) and is called systolic blood pressure The second (lower) value (85) represents blood pressure during the heart relaxation (diastole in Greek) and is called diastolic blood pressure What is Normal Blood Pressure Range? For an adult (18 years or older), any blood pressure between 120/80 and 90/60, measured in the sitting position on the upper arm, is considered as normal. It was found out that people with blood pressure within this range are at least risk to suffer from heart attack, stroke or other circulatory disorders (1), so it [...]

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