Anyone know anything about blood test results?

[OBIC]

Hi

I know there are a few nurses/ex nurses etc on the site or anyone else who generally knows about this stuff and just wondered if I could get some advice.

Can you just tell me if say the Lymphocytes on a blood test results were measuring 1.0 and the norm was 1.1 to 4 should you be called back for a repeat blood test a couple of weeks later? Bearing in mind that the reason for the blood tests being taken in the first place is because the patient was experiencing severe pain.

Would really appreciate any feedback on this.

Many thanks.

ax

 

[skymark]

One thing to remember is that when looking at 'norm' Doctors look at 'your baseline' more than anything.

This is because 'norm' is such a range that if they just go on 'norm' they could be wrong. For example if your normal is 1 and you come up 4, well technically 4 is normal right, but its not normal for YOU which gives a Dr some concern.

For your tests, I assume you should already have a follow up booked if you are being tested for things anyway or even if they didnt call you back if you continued to get symptoms you would be going back anyway as severe pain was the symptom.

Honestly where medicine is concerned there isnt much that is 'normal' and most doctors will tell you that test results are only relevant when put in context with the patient, their history, medications etc. If you have concern, best to take it to your physician or get a telephone appointment to ask the question.

 

[OBIC]

One thing to remember is that when looking at 'norm' Doctors look at 'your baseline' more than anything.

This is because 'norm' is such a range that if they just go on 'norm' they could be wrong. For example if your normal is 1 and you come up 4, well technically 4 is normal right, but its not normal for YOU which gives a Dr some concern.

For your tests, I assume you should already have a follow up booked if you are being tested for things anyway or even if they didnt call you back if you continued to get symptoms you would be going back anyway as severe pain was the symptom.

Honestly where medicine is concerned there isnt much that is 'normal' and most doctors will tell you that test results are only relevant when put in context with the patient, their history, medications etc. If you have concern, best to take it to your physician or get a telephone appointment to ask the question.

Well actually they aren't my blood test they are my husbands.

Probably not the place to air this but he has recently been diagnosed with testicular cancer and the blood tests I'm talking about relate to tests that were taken last July. Unfortunatley he went through private health insurance and saw a private doctor but he never forwarded these blood tests to either my husband or the GP. It was only the other week that he requested a copy from the private doctor that there is an astrix next to the lymphocytes and they are below what they say they should be. Surely that doctor should have contact him especially as he was presenting with testicular pain (unfortunately there was no abnormality so it wasn't picked up!) and abdominal pain. Also back in July he had food intolerence tests done and when she forwarded the blood results last week the secretary also put in a shrinkwrapped pack saying "this was found in his file". Initially I just assumed it was a marketing pack of some sort but when I opened it it was the York Laboratory test results that they hadn't even bothered to forward on until eight months later!!!!!

I'm not looking for people to blame but just angry that he first went to the GP back in January 2010 (twice in a week) and various other times over the next 14 months with this pain and he just thought it would be normal for him to prescribe tramadol forever and a day! It was only when I made him go to A&E at the end of February that they knew instantly there was a problem as it has now spread to his lymph nodes! Earler that same week he had been to see a urologist (as they thought this whole thing was kidney stones) who didn't even touch his stomach!

Like I say don't really want to get into this on a open forum but just would appreciate some feedback if anybody is able to give me some.

 

[skymark]

An asterisk next to the labs would indicate that somebody flagged them and communication didn't happen afterwards.

I am not sure what the rules are in the UK but I know in the USA labs that show levels of stuff (rather than diagnosis) are up to the Doctors decison about whether they are concerned about it and there arent 'rules' about having to do something with numbers under or over averages.

In your case if it has been flagged for an appointment needed I guess it is a question of whether the Dr didnt pass on the msg or whether the secretary or whoever didnt bother to make contact.

My first port of call would be asking that particular Drs office what an asterisk next to a lab means in their particular office. For example is it an indicator of something to be done, or an indicator of thats the lab they were interested in the result of and they were happy with it.

Sorry to hear your hubby has had so many problems and I hope that you get to the bottom of any mistake thats been made.

 

[OBIC]

Sorry to hear your hubby has had so many problems and I hope that you get to the bottom of any mistake thats been made.

Thanks for your advice, and I intend to get to the bottom of it!