Common Blood Tests Your Doctor May Order at Your Next Check Up

As a phlebotomist (a person who does blood draws), I've seen thousands of people come in to get blood tests done. From this experience I've learned which blood tests doctors most commonly order. Let's take a look at a few of these blood tests and see why your doctor might want to see these results.

Blood test #1 - The Complete Blood Count (CBC)
The complete blood count is probably the most commonly ordered test. The CBC tells your doctor about a wide variety of problems that might be occurring within your body. One common reason this blood test is ordered is to see if you are anemic (have a low number of red blood cells). The CBC also gives your white blood count. A high number of white blood cells in your blood can indicate you're suffering from an infection. The CBC blood test can also help your doctor confirm a clotting problem, low iron levels, vitamin b12 deficiency, and even leukemia!

Your doctor may have other reasons not mentioned for viewing this blood test. There are so many things it can tell a medical professional a comprehensive list would be an article in itself.

Blood Test #2 - The Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP)
The BMP is probably the 2^nd most commonly ordered test of all the blood tests. The BMP tests 8 different nutrients, electrolytes, and kidney byproducts in your blood. These components are your glucose, sodium, potassium, CO2, chloride, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine levels.

This blood test is ordered for a variety of reasons. Like the CBC, the BMP gives your doctor a broad view of what's going on inside your body. It can indicate problems with your kidneys, respiratory system, insulin (diabetes), heart, and dehydration severity, among many other things. The results from the BMP blood test will tell your doctor where he or she needs to look closer for what may be causing you problems. It can also tell your doctor if you're severely dehydrated.

Closely related to the BMP is the complete metabolic panel (CMP), which is a blood test of 14 components of your blood instead of 8.

Blood Test #3 - TheLipid Profile
The lipid profile (also called a lipid panel) tells your doctor about your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. High triglyceride and cholesterol numbers are a strong indicator of heart disease. High levels are a cause of high blood pressure and are a major risk factor for a stroke and heart attack.

Blood Test #4 - The CK and Troponins
While these 2 blood tests are not the same test, they both test for a similar problem. The CK and Troponins can indicate if you've had heart damage, often cause by a heart attack. If you complain to your doctor about chest pain, these blood tests will likely be ordered.

Blood Test #5 - The Prothrombin Time (PT or INR)
The prothrombin time tests to see how well your blood clots. This blood test is most commonly ordered for people on Coumadin, heparin, or other blood thinning medication. Since these medications can be harmful if under dosed or over dosed, your doctor will want to check your PT/INR levels frequently, at least once a month.

The PT blood test can also indicate bleed disorders. Your doctor will check a prothrombin time if he suspects a bleeding problem or if you're going in for a surgery. The last thing a surgeon needs is for you to bleed a lot while you're on the surgery table.

Blood Test #6 - The Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
The TSH, as you may have guessed from the name, tests for thyroid hormones. Low levels of TSH can indicate hypothyroidism, while high levels can indicate hyperthyroidism. This test is commonly ordered along with other thyroid blood tests like the T3 and T4 thyroid hormone tests to help confirm the condition of your thyroid.

Blood Test #7 - The Sedimentation Rate (ESR)
The ESR tests for inflammation inside the body. Inflammation in your body indicates a variety of disorders, diseases, and cancers. While its not a definitive test, it can tell your doctor if he will need to do further blood tests to find out what's going on. He will often order this if you're complaining about headaches or other pains in your body.

Blood Test #8 - The Hepatic Function Panel
This blood test is simple. It tests to see how well your liver is working. This test will be ordered if you have symptoms of liver problems, such as jaundice (yellow skin), dark urine, nausea, vomiting, and weight changes, among others.

While these 8 blood tests are by no means a comprehensive list of all the tests your doctor can do (that list would be very, very long), they are a few of the most commonly ordered blood tests I do blood draws for.

Sources
Personal experience working in a hospital
www.labtestsonline.org