Laboratory Diagnostics
What is laboratory diagnostics?
Laboratory tests are tests that check whether a person's health is normal. For example, a laboratory can examine a sample of your blood, urine or body tissue to see if something is wrong.
The most common blood tests for assessing internal medical conditions include:
Cardiac enzyme tests (including troponin tests) – used to diagnose or rule out a heart attack.
Full blood count (FBC) – used to measure several types of blood cell. The FBC can indicate the presence of infection or the state of anemia, for example.
Thyroid function tests – these are used to diagnose an underactive or overactive thyroid. Abnormal levels may be associated with some heart conditions and symptoms such as a slow or fast heartbeat or palpitations.
Lipid profile: the lipid profile measures your cholesterol levels and the breakdown of 'good' and 'bad' fats in your blood.
Liver tests measure the liver's ability to function. The liver is a vital organ with many functions. If it is not functioning well, it can have a serious impact on the entire body.
Coagulation test: This test measures the time it takes for your blood to clot. Please note that this test is important if you are taking blood-thinning medications such as warfarin.
BNP (B-type natriuretic peptide) test: This test measures the level of a hormone in the blood. An increase in the hormone may indicate heart failure.
Blood sugar test, also known as an A1C test: This test measures the average blood sugar level over the past three months. This test can determine if you have prediabetes or diabetes.
The urea electrolyte test measures the sodium and potassium content, as well as other important chemicals such as magnesium and calcium, in your blood. To do this, the urea and electrolyte levels are determined. These substances are important for the general functioning of your heart and are also used to assess kidney function. Possible imbalances in the blood can be due to the use of medication.
Determination of vitamins and hormones in the blood.
Determination of tumor markers in the blood.
Lab results in minutes
At our practice, we offer the option of using rapid tests to get timely answers (within a few minutes) and to confirm or rule out acute illnesses. The rapid tests available include:
1. Highly sensitive C-reactive protein
The liver produces C-reactive protein (CRP) as part of the body's response to inflammatory processes (e.g. injuries or infections). Among other things, inflammatory processes are responsible for the deposition of plaques in the arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis. Rapid tests for highly sensitive CRP (hs-CRP) help to detect inflammatory processes or infections in the body, among other things.
2. Natriuretic peptides
Cerebral natriuretic peptide is a protein produced by the heart and blood vessels. It is also known as B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). BNP helps the body to excrete fluid, relaxes blood vessels and directs sodium into the urine.
In the presence of heart damage, high levels of BNP are produced in the blood to reduce the burden on the heart. An important use of BNP is in the diagnosis of heart failure.
BNP levels vary with age, gender and weight. For people with heart failure, it may be beneficial to measure baseline BNP levels. Future tests may be used to determine the effectiveness of treatment.
3. Troponin T
Troponin T is a protein found predominantly in the heart muscle. A highly sensitive troponin T test helps healthcare professionals diagnose heart muscle damage, such as myocardial infarction. The test also provides information about the risk of heart disease. An elevated troponin T level is associated with a higher risk of heart disease in people who are not showing symptoms.
4. D-dimers
D-dimers are fibrin breakdown products. They are determined to exclude thromboembolism, i.e. the sudden obstruction of a vein or artery by a blood clot. These tests are highly sensitive but not very specific.
This means that increased values do not directly indicate a specific disease. A positive test result can have many causes and is not very meaningful for the doctor in terms of diagnosis.
On the other hand, the test reacts very sensitively to vascular occlusion. In patients with a normal D-dimer value, vascular occlusion is very unlikely. Therefore, the laboratory value is well suited to clarify the suspicion of vascular occlusion.
How is a blood sample taken at our practice?
A blood test involves taking a small amount of your blood and analyzing it in a laboratory.
The blood sample is taken with a needle that is inserted through the skin into a vein. The blood sample is usually taken from a vein in the crook of the arm or a vein on the back of the hand, as these veins are closer to the surface.
A tight band, also called a tourniquet, is placed around your arm. This is done just above where the blood is to be taken. This brings the vein closer to the skin surface, making it easier to take the blood. The area must be cleaned with a suitable antiseptic wipe or swab before the blood is taken.
The needle is usually connected to a syringe or plastic container called a vacutainer. The blood is drawn into a container called a vial. The vial is then sent to a laboratory for analysis.
Taking a blood sample usually takes only a few minutes.
Why should you have your blood samples taken at our practice?
Our practice has specially equipped rooms for blood sampling.
An in-house laboratory is available for quick diagnoses within a few minutes.
For further laboratory tests, we cooperate with the medical laboratory association Rhein-Main. The full range of laboratory chemical tests is offered here. The results are usually available within 24 hours and can be accessed online and discussed with us by phone or video call.
A particular focus is on the molecular genetic analysis of genetic diseases such as familial hypercholesterolemia.