A general blood test provides a lot of useful information about the patient’s condition, but it is important to properly prepare for it so that it is as accurate as possible. The need to comply with relevant recommendations is indicated (and very eloquently) by figures from the World Health Organization. According to her data, a general blood test provides from 60 to 80% of all general diagnostic information about the patient. Naturally, it is impossible to make a diagnosis based only on its results; they must be compared with the clinical picture and the results of other studies, but still it can rightfully be considered fundamental. So what recommendations will you need to follow before going to the clinic and getting tested?
Dos and don'ts before visiting the laboratory
Like most blood tests, general blood tests are always taken on an empty stomach. If it is not possible to take it at the most appropriate time in the morning, then in the evening and during the day it is permissible to take it four to five hours after eating. But you should still keep in mind that the indicators change all the time and that the best time to take a blood test is early in the morning, since all laboratory indicators are calculated at this time. Before the test, it is necessary not to have breakfast and preferably not to have dinner, since the least blurred result will be if the patient goes through an 8-12-hour period of fasting. In addition, you should definitely avoid dishes that contain a lot of fat and fried foods at least a day, and preferably two days before the test. Before your morning visit to the clinic, it is best to have dinner with unsweetened tea, unsweetened porridge without butter and milk, and an apple.
Also, the day before the study, you should completely eliminate intense exercise (including physical work and running), completely abstain from alcoholic beverages, and, if possible and in consultation with your doctor, from taking medications, since all of these are factors that can significantly affect your health. clinical picture. Only if they completely coincide will the comparison of results be correct.
When two hours remain before blood sampling, you should stop smoking, drink coffee, tea and even juices, quenching your thirst with still water. Also during this period, it is important to avoid any stress on the heart, including climbing stairs and brisk walking. Finally, you need to arrive at the clinic where the tests will be taken a quarter of an hour before the appointed time - this is necessary in order to sit and calm down, since emotional stress is one of the factors that can affect what the laboratory analysis will show. Following these recommendations will ensure that the results of the study are as accurate as possible.
If the patient is undergoing physiotherapeutic procedures or instrumental examination, it is better for him to take a general blood test the next day, as in the case when he underwent X-ray and ultrasound examinations, massage and other medical procedures.
When laboratory indicators are checked over time, which is necessary when a whole list of diagnoses is suspected, the same conditions should be observed as much as possible as the first time, from the time of day when the tests were taken to the laboratory in which this was done. Both before the first blood donation and before all subsequent ones, it is not recommended to significantly change the daily routine, since this can also blur the clinical picture.
Decryption features
According to the results of a blood test, some indicators may be increased or, conversely, decreased.
In addition, a clinical analysis of blood fluid can reliably show the presence of parasites such as helminths in children’s bodies.
There is a special table of blood fluid indicators in their normal state, and the values of all the main indices obtained during the study are compared against it.
The laboratory especially carefully studies lymphocytes, which are the main cells of the immune system in children.
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Lymphocytes are primarily designed to produce specific antibodies that can effectively fight cells harmful to the body.
Depending on the age of the baby, lymphocytes may change their normal values.
Lymphocytes reach their highest levels in one-year-old children, then they begin to gradually decrease their values, and by adulthood their percentage ranges from 25 to 35.
Monocytes are also the most important elements in the blood of children. Monocytes are the smallest cells, the so-called “white blood”.
Monocytes in the blood fluid perform the function of absorbing a wide variety of harmful microorganisms.
Monocytes are expressed as a percentage; on average, their norm in children ranges from 2 to 12%.
If both of these indicators are elevated, this indicates that some pathological processes are occurring in the baby’s body.
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Also, in the process of examining the baby’s blood, the quantitative characteristics of red blood cells are carefully checked in the laboratory.
This essential element of blood fluid is responsible, first of all, for the delivery of oxygen to all cells and internal organs.
The analysis also determines the level of hemoglobin, which is part of red blood cells.
The color index of the blood fluid is carefully assessed, which changes somewhat with increasing age of the child.
An index such as ESR is of great importance for determining the various types of pathologies that can occur in a child’s body.
Knowing the value of ESR, it is possible with a high probability to trace the dynamics of the course of a particular disease, in addition, it can be used to reliably establish a diagnosis.
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In addition, platelets and some other indices are checked in children's blood fluid, which may be of interest to the attending physician.
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If the blood test shows a poor result, the doctor may prescribe additional diagnostics to clarify the situation.
What else you need to know about taking a general blood test
If there is such a possibility, then blood should be donated before a course of taking any medications is started - or 10, or preferably 14 days after it is completed. In any case, it is advisable to allow at least a week to pass between donating blood and taking any last medication. This will significantly affect the validity of the result obtained. In a situation where the doctor prescribing the study does not know that the patient is taking any medications, he needs to be informed about it.
Since a general blood test in Moscow is taken on an empty stomach, it is important to provide for the opportunity to eat afterward.
Doctors confirm that regular preventive examinations are the key to the disease being detected at an early stage, and proper preparation for the test is the key to an accurate result. But both statements are true only if the tests are taken in a modern laboratory with good equipment.
Only a doctor who has all the information about the patient’s condition can recommend a general blood test. Under no circumstances should diagnostic results be used for self-diagnosis, much less self-medication, as this is fraught with unpredictable consequences.
How to make blood tests look bad
Whatever your illness, the first test that a competent doctor will send you for will be a general (general clinical) blood test, says our expert - cardiologist, doctor of the highest category Tamara Ogieva.
Blood for general analysis is taken venous or capillary, that is, from a vein or from a finger. The primary general analysis can be taken without an empty stomach. A detailed blood test is given only on an empty stomach.
For biochemical analysis, blood will have to be donated only from a vein and always on an empty stomach. After all, if you drink, say, coffee with sugar in the morning, the glucose level in your blood will certainly change and the analysis will be incorrect.
Ideally, it is recommended to take blood for a general blood test after a short rest, since some indicators may change with excitement and physical stress.
A competent doctor will definitely take into account your gender and physiological condition. For example, in women during “critical days,” the ESR increases and the platelet count decreases.
A general analysis provides more information about inflammation and the state of the blood (susceptibility to blood clots, the presence of infections), and biochemical analysis is responsible for the functional and organic state of internal organs - liver, kidneys, pancreas.
General analysis indicators:
1. HEMOGLOBIN (Hb) is a blood pigment found in erythrocytes (red blood cells), its main function is the transfer of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and the removal of carbon dioxide from the body.
Normal values for men are 130-160 g/l, women - 120-140 g/l.
Reduced hemoglobin occurs with anemia, blood loss, hidden internal bleeding, damage to internal organs, for example, kidneys, etc.
It can increase with dehydration, blood diseases and some types of heart failure.
2. ERYTHROCYTES - blood cells that contain hemoglobin.
Normal values are (4.0-5.1) * 10 to the 12th power/l and (3.7-4.7) * 10 to the 12th power/l, for men and women, respectively.
An increase in red blood cells occurs, for example, in healthy people at high altitudes in the mountains, as well as in congenital or acquired heart defects, diseases of the bronchi, lungs, kidneys and liver. The increase may be due to an excess of steroid hormones in the body. For example, with Cushing's disease and syndrome, or during treatment with hormonal drugs.
Decreased - with anemia, acute blood loss, with chronic inflammatory processes in the body, as well as in late pregnancy.
3. LEUCOCYTES - white blood cells, they are formed in the bone marrow and lymph nodes. Their main function is to protect the body from adverse effects. The norm is (4.0-9.0) x 10 to the 9th power /l. Excess indicates the presence of infection and inflammation.
There are five types of leukocytes (lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils) , each of them performs a specific function. If necessary, a detailed blood test is done, which shows the ratio of all five types of leukocytes. For example, if the level of leukocytes in the blood is increased, a detailed analysis will show which type has increased their total number. If due to lymphocytes, then there is an inflammatory process in the body; if there are more eosinophils than normal, then an allergic reaction can be suspected.
Why are there many leukocytes?
There are many conditions in which changes in white blood cell levels are observed. This does not necessarily indicate illness. Leukocytes, as well as all indicators of general analysis, react to various changes in the body. For example, during stress, pregnancy, or after physical exertion, their number increases.
An increased number of leukocytes in the blood (also known as leukocytosis) also occurs with:
+ infections (bacterial),
+ inflammatory processes,
+ allergic reactions,
+ malignant neoplasms and leukemia,
+ taking hormonal medications, some heart medications (for example, digoxin).
But a low number of white blood cells in the blood (or leukopenia): this condition often occurs with a viral infection (for example, the flu) or taking certain medications, for example, analgesics, anticonvulsants.
4. PLATELETS - blood cells, an indicator of normal blood clotting, are involved in the formation of blood clots.
Normal amount - (180-320) * 10 to the 9th power / l
An increased amount occurs when:
chronic inflammatory diseases (tuberculosis, ulcerative colitis, cirrhosis of the liver), after operations, treatment with hormonal drugs.
Reduced when:
the effects of alcohol, heavy metal poisoning, blood diseases, kidney failure, liver diseases, spleen diseases, hormonal disorders. And also under the influence of certain medications: antibiotics, diuretics, digoxin, nitroglycerin, hormones.
5. ESR or ROE - erythrocyte sedimentation rate (erythrocyte sedimentation reaction) - this is the same thing, an indicator of the course of the disease. Typically, ESR increases on days 2-4 of the disease, sometimes reaching a maximum during the recovery period. The norm for men is 2-10 mm/h, for women - 2-15 mm/h.
Increased with:
infections, inflammation, anemia, kidney disease, hormonal disorders, shock after injuries and operations, during pregnancy, after childbirth, during menstruation.
How to take tests correctly
There are rules that all those who decide to take five tests must adhere to:
- Before donating blood, do not eat anything for at least six hours.
- Before collecting the material, give your body a rest for 24 hours - do not overexert yourself physically.
- Control your emotional state as much as possible, do not give free rein to your feelings.
- In general, do not smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol.
- A day before, give up fatty and fried foods.
Blood tests must be taken only in equipped laboratories. When visiting private establishments, you should pay attention to the cleanliness of the premises and sterility.
