fast from midnight until the test the next morning. This means that the patient cannot eat or drink anything after midnight except water. The patient must also avoid radioisotope scanning tests or recently administered radioisotopes
They may include slight bleeding from the location where the blood was drawn. The patient may feel faint or lightheaded after the blood is drawn. Sometimes the patient may have an accumulation of blood under the puncture site.
Patients may be advised to discontinue certain medications for 48 hours before the test. A menstruating woman having hot flashes or irregular periods should be tested on the second or third day of her menstrual cycle
The patient is to fast with nothing to eat or drink for at least eight hours before the test. It is also suggested that the patient lie down for 30 minutes before the test.
The patient is asked what medications they are on, to see if they may influence test results. If the patient is on heparin therapy, the blood sample is drawn one hour before the next dose of heparin.
Before the test, the patient must stop taking all drugs that can inhibit acetylcholinesterase. The referring physician can advise on specific drugs the patient is taking.
This test requires a blood sample. It is not necessary for the patient to be in a fasting (nothing to eat or drink) state before the test.
Adrenocorticotropic hormone is a polypeptide tropic hormone produced and secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. It is an important component of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and is often produced in response to biological stress.
Somatotropin hormone test, Somatomedin C, Growth hormone suppression test (glucose loading test), and Growth hormone stimulation test (Arginine test or Insulin tolerance test).
The estrogen fraction test can be performed on blood and/or urine. It is not necessary for the patient to restrict food or fluids for either test. If a 24-hour urine test has been requested, the patient should call the laboratory for instructions.
The patient is prepared by giving an I.V. antibiotic, they must fast overnight, they should stop taking medications (NSAIDs) a week before the procedure and they may be given a sedative just before the test.
This test requires a blood sample. The patient is not required to be in a fasting state (nothing to eat or drink for a period of hours before the test).
The PTH test is performed on a sample of the patient's blood, withdrawn from a vein into a vacuum tube. The procedure, which is called a venipuncture, takes about five minutes.