Download Patient Information Leaflet about Blood Tests

Blood Tests
Blood tests are taken for many different reasons - for example, to:
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Help diagnose or rule out certain conditions.
Monitor the activity and severity of certain conditions. For example, a blood test may
help to see if a condition is responding to treatment.
Check the body's functions such as liver function and kidney function when you are
taking certain medicines which may affect the liver or the kidneys.
The most common blood tests are:
Full blood count (FBC) - checks for anaemia and signs of infection.
Kidney function (Urea & Electrolytes/U&E’s) – checks how the kidneys are functioning and
the levels of some salts in the blood. Medications and other health conditions can damage
the kidneys and this is often part of ongoing health screening
Liver function (LFTs) – checks for any liver dysfunction. The liver can be affected by many
medications, alcohol and other health conditions
Blood sugar (glucose) level – This can be used to diagnose and monitor diabetes. The test
that is commonly used is called HbA1c which assesses how well controlled your sugar levels
have been over the past 2-3 months.
Bone profile – checks calcium and phosphate blood levels which are important in
maintaining healthy bones.
Blood clotting tests – this may be done routinely on people taking blood thinning medications
(such as warfarin) or in people who need investigation for bleeding disorders
Tests for inflammation (CRP or ESR) – a general test that can be used to diagnose the
severity of infections or the severity of non-infective inflammatory conditions in the body.
This may be used to monitor activity of chronic diseases to tell how successful treatments
have been
Blood cholesterol level (lipid profile) –measures the level of cholesterol and other fats in the
blood. It is often used as part of a routine cardiovascular review to help calculate long term
risk of heart disease and to guide which patients may need medication to control their
cholesterol
Thyroid function (TFTs) – often checked yearly as part of routine health checks. Also used
for monitoring of patients with known thyroid disease.
Serum uric acid test - may be used to measure the amount of uric acid in your blood. A high
level or uric acid is often associated with gout.