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In the ER, people come to the hospital with trauma or other life-threatening conditions. Due to the urgency of diagnosis and treatment, blood tests are needed to pinpoint the problem and establish a treatment plan. Various blood tests can be used to differentiate between medical problems, resulting in faster treatment.
Toxicology
A toxicology screening is invaluable for differentiating between drug overdoses and other medical problems, and figuring out which drug is causing the problem. Some symptoms can have a number of causes and if it's a drug overdose, reversing the effects quickly can prevent permanent damage. For example, a person displaying combative behavior or acute psychosis might have a recent head injury, drugs, or mental illnesses like schizophrenia. In the instance of drugs, doctors may be able to give medications to counteract the effects. Injectable antipsychotics can be used for people having a psychotic episode or a recent head injury so they will be calm enough for further testing, such as brain imaging.
CBC
A complete blood count (CBC) is used to test the values of several types of blood cells. The information in the test includes the number of red and white blood cells, hemoglobin, and platelets. A CBC with differential will give information about the types of white blood cells and their percentages. An elevated white blood cell count can be consistent with a serious infection, such as sepsis. When these cells are low, it can indicate cancer or conditions that suppress the immune system, such as HIV. Internal bleeding can cause low red blood cells and low hemoglobin. People with too few platelets are at risk for hemorrhage.
ABG
Arterial blood gas (ABG) is a different type of blood test because it is taken from an artery in the wrist, rather than a vein. The information gathered from the test are levels of blood gases and the pH of the blood. These measurements are often helpful for people in respiratory distress. Respiratory distress can happen because of asthma or other chronic respiratory diseases like COPD or emphysema. Another cause of respiratory distress is a disease or injury that affects the brain's ability to regulate breathing. Carbon dioxide increases in the blood causing acidosis, which lowers the pH of the blood. The converse is alkalosis, which occurs when there is too little carbon dioxide in the blood, raising the pH. This generally occurs when people are breathing too fast, but other conditions can cause a similar problem.
In many urgent medical situations, seconds can make the difference between life and death. ER laboratory testing can provide doctors with an array of information in the ER so the appropriate treatment is rendered quickly.
Share24 February 2023
