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The pitfalls of modern medicine and lab results?


sowens

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The pitfalls of modern medicine and lab results?

by Steven Owens on Jan.18, 2009

 

I see the question all the time, what are the normal reference ranges for XYZ lab tests. The easy answer is it depends on the lab you are using. So, how does a lab determine what is "normal". You probably would have to ask each lab because I am sure there is a method to the madness. A problem, at least maybe for doctors, is that health care consumers are becoming educated on their own health. Michael Kleerekoper, MD, MACE describes on this site that:

 

What exactly is the problem? If the reference interval for potassium in your institution's lab is 3.5 mEq/L to 5.4 mEq/L and the patient's value is 3.4 mEq/L or 5.5 mEq/L, it is highlighted as "abnormal" when the results are posted.
Increasingly and appropriately the patient gets a copy of the lab report sent to their home and they can't miss these abnormal labs
.

 

It is amazing, having looked through my own health care records, of the number of times doctors will brush off abnormal test results. For years, when lab work was done we just assumed it was always normal. Nowadays, we never assume and we ask or more importantly we get a copy of all lab work, medical imaging and other medical documentation. We never assume anything is normal.

 

 

 

 

Read the entire article here

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I never believe it unless I've seen it with my own eyes.

 

I think that is one of the most improtant things a person can do to improve the quality of their healthcare, always get a copy of the results.

 

good article.

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Would be really helpful if labs would actually let us get our own results without a fight.

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I nearly lost my religion last week when I took my Mom to see a local endo.

 

My Mom's labs showed she was at the very end of the range for TSH and FT4. To me that means possibly central hypothyroidism......at least something to check out.

 

This end went on and on about how FT4 and FT3 lab tests where TOTALLY unreliable and unnecessary to order. AND that these labs didn't show my Mom was hypothyroid........I must have asked her 3 times and I know by the 2nd time I was sounding like I was talking to a child!!!!

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