People can examine dead bodies for diseases or criminal acts {autopsy}|.
Surgical procedures {biopsy}| can remove small tissue pieces from inside body using large needles.
Instruments {endoscopy}| can provide light when inserted in incision or opening for viewing stomach, duodenum, and esophagus.
Displays {karyotype}| can show chromosomes.
Allergy tests {patch test}| can be on skin.
Instruments {proctoscopy}| {colonoscopy} {sigmoidoscopy} can view colon directly. Feces can have blood, indicating colon cancer or hemorrhoids.
X-rays {roentgenogram}| can check lungs for degeneration and bones for fractures.
Tests {Schick test}| can check immunity to diphtheria.
Allergy tests {scratch test}| can be on skin.
Tuberculosis tests {tuberculin test} are at one year old and once a year thereafter.
Tests {Wassermann test}| can be for syphilis.
Fluorescein can check blood vessels for leaks or hemorrhage {angiography}|.
Kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, electrolytes, proteins, lipids, and cells cause blood changes {blood, tests}.
kidney disease
Kidneys excrete blood nitrogen {blood urea nitrogen} (BUN) in urea. Kidneys excrete muscle-catabolism product {creatinine}. Kidneys have filtration rate {estimated glomerular filtration rate} (eGFR). Tests {BUN/creatinine ratio} can measure dehydration.
liver disease
Hemoglobin catabolism products {bilirubin} can indicate liver or gall-bladder problems. Other tests are liver protein {albumin, blood test}, liver and immune-system protein {globulin, blood test}, liver or kidney imbalance {albumin/globulin ratio}, liver disease or inflammation {aminotransferase} (AST) {alanine aminotransferase} (ALT), and bile duct, liver, or bone metabolism {alkaline phosphatase}.
diabetes
High glucose concentration after fasting indicates diabetes.
electrolytes
Sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and carbon-dioxide concentrations can indicate thyroid and adrenal diseases.
proteins
High protein concentration {total protein} indicates inflammation, infection, or bone disease. Low hemoglobin concentration indicates anemia. High hemoglobin concentration indicates polycythemia.
lipids
Triglycerides, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) are lipid tests. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is total minus high-density minus triglycerides divided by 5. Total cholesterol can divide by HDL {chol/HDLC ratio}.
cells
Few precipitated cells in hematocrit indicate anemia. Platelet concentration {platelet count} indicates clotting problems. White blood cells include neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils. Other tests are cell concentration {complete blood count} (CBC) {red blood cell count} {white blood cell count}, red-blood-cell volume {mean corpuscular volume} (MCV), hemoglobin in red blood cells {mean corpuscular hemoglobin} (MCH) {mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration} (MCHC), red-cell volume variation {red cell distribution width} (RDW), and platelet age {mean platelet volume} (MPV).
Methods {cardiogram}| measures heart signals.
Blood proteins {C-reactive protein} (CRP) {high sensitive C-reactive protein} (hs-CRP) can indicate chronic inflammation and correlate with atherosclerosis.
Devices can measure heart electric signals {electrocardiogram}| (ECG).
Instruments {colposcope} can be for direct cervix observation {colposcopy}.
Hormone tests {female hormone test} can look for approaching menopause.
Breast X-rays {mammography}| can detect breast cancer.
Speculums can collect cervical cells {Pap smear}| for examination for cancer, recommended once a year or two.
Breast-cancer detection can be by temperature {thermography}.
Before 13 weeks, testing maternal blood serum can check protein level {pregnancy-associated plasma protein A} (PAPP-A). Testing includes checking human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
At 10 to 13 weeks, testing placenta {chorionic villus} can check trisomies and other chromosome defects {chorionic villus sampling}.
At 11 to 13 weeks, ultrasound testing {nuchal scan} {nuchal translucency test} can check fluid behind neck {nuchal fold} {nuchal translucency}. Trisomies tend to make high fluid. After 13 weeks, lymphatic system drains fluid.
At 15 to 20 weeks, testing maternal blood serum can check alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and unconjugated estriol (uE3) {maternal triple screening test}. For elevated protein levels, other tests can check trisomies and other chromosome defects.
At 15 to 20 weeks, testing maternal blood serum can check alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), unconjugated estriol (uE3), and inhibin A hormone {maternal quadruple screening test}. For elevated protein levels, other tests can check trisomies and other chromosome defects.
At 16 to 20 weeks, inserting a needle through abdomen into amniotic sac can withdraw 20 ml to test fetal cells for trisomies and other chromosome defects {amniocentesis}.
At 17 to 20 weeks, testing umbilical cord blood can check trisomies and other chromosome defects {percutaneous umbilical cord blood sampling} {cordocentesis}.
4-Medicine-Medical Examination
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Date Modified: 2022.0225