Download Diagnostic Tests

Diagnostic Tests
Serum Tests
• Total Antibody Titer: is a laboratory test that
measures the presence and amount of antibodies in
blood. The antibody level in the blood is a reflection
of past exposure to an antigen or to something that
the body does not recognize as belonging to itself.
The body uses antibodies to attack and remove
foreign substances. High levels of this
immunoglobulin could indicate St. Louis
encephalitis, Tetanus or Amebic dysentery.
Serum Tests
• Complement Fixation: is an
immunological test that can be used
to detect the presence of either
specific antibody or specific antigen
in a patient's serum. Positive results
could be associated w/St. Louis
encephalitis, & influenza.
Serum Tests
• Hemagglutination Inhibiting Test: is a
method of looking for viruses or bacteria
by blood clotting. It is an easy, simple and
rapid method which can be applied to
large numbers of samples. A positive
result could indicate Amebic dysentery,
Poliomyelitis, Mononucleosis, or St. Louis
encephalitis.
Serum Tests
• IgA Titer: IgA is a class of
immunoglobulin antibodies found mainly
in mucous membranes so the titer is a
laboratory test that measures the
presence and amount of IgA antibodies in
blood. High levels of this
immunoglobulin could indicate Influenza
Serum Tests
• IgG Titer: IgG is a class of
immunoglobulin antibodies that can cross
the placental barrier so a titer for this will
is checking to see how many of these
antibodies are in the mother’s blood.
High levels of this immunoglobulin could
indicate St. Louis encephalitis,
Mononucleosis, Lyme disease, or Amebic
dysentery.
Serum Tests
• IgM Titer: IgM is a class of
immunoglobulin fix complement
antibodies that detect specific antigens &
stick or fix to them so the titer is looking
for the number of IgM antibodies that
have flagged a specific microorganism.
High levels of this immunoglobulin could
indicate St. Louis encephalitis,
Mononucleosis, or Amebic dysentery.
Serum Tests
• Indirect Hemagglutination Antibody
Test: An indirect blood clotting test
developed for detecting antibody
against the protein of group B
Streptococcus. Positive results could
indicate Amebic dysentery,
Poliomyelitis, Mononucleosis or St.
Louis encephalitis.
Serum Tests
• Indirect Immunofluorescent Antibody Test:
is a technique used for light microscopy with
a fluorescence microscope and is used
primarily on biological samples. This
technique uses the specificity of two
antibodies one of which carries a fluorescent
dye that binds to a specific type of antigen
and therefore allows visualization of the
sample. Can be used to test for Lyme
disease, poliomyelitis, & St. Louis
encephalitis.
Serum Tests
• Mouse Assay test of a substance
(especially a drug or food) to
determine its components;
frequently used to test for the
presence or concentration of
infectious agents or antibodies etc.
Can be used to test for Botulism
Serum Tests
• Specific Rickettsial Serology: tests
for any one of the following tests:
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever,
Murine Typhus and Q Fever
Whole Blood Tests
• Hemocrit & Hemoglobin: Hemocrit
indicates the % of RBC in a specific
volume of blood & can indicate a fluid
imbalance or anemia. Hemoglobin
indicate the amount of hemoglobin
available for oxygen transport. If both
are low that could indicate Amebic
dysentery.
Whole Blood Tests
• White Blood Cell Differential Count:
aka: differential count; determines
whether there has been a change in
the proportions of WBCs & may
indicate the presence of Rubeola, or
Pertussis.
Whole Blood Tests
• White Blood Cell Count: a test that counts
the number of WBCs in the blood. The
number can indicate the presence of an
infection, Mononucleosis-(20, 000 or more);
(bacterial)Pneumonia-(26,000 or more);
Poliomyelitis-(greater than 5%); Rubeola(greater than 4%); Osteomyelitis-(15,000
ormore); Pertusis-(20,000-40,000);
(bacterial)Meningitis-(8,000 or more); or
Amebic dysentery-(15,500).
Cerebrospinal Fluid Tests
• CSF Glucose: determines the level of
glucose (sugar) in your blood in your
brain. Low numbers can indicate
bacterial Meningitis.
Whole Blood Tests
• CSF Pressure: indicates the amount
of pressure the cerebral spinal fluid is
creating w/in the brain. An amount
of 300 can indicate bacterial
Meningitis.
Whole Blood Tests
• CSF Protein Level: indicates the
amount of proteins in your brain.
High levels can indicate bacterial
Meningitis.
Whole Blood Tests
• CSF White Blood Cell Count:
indicates the number of WBC in the
brain (normal is less than 5). A high
number like 120 could indicate
bacterial Meningitis.
Other Tests
• X ray: aka radiograph is an ionizing
radiation picture of bones & soft tissues
that varies in density w/the absorption of
the x-rays striking the tissues. An
abnormality of a plain chest x-ray can
indicate bone fractures, bacterial
Pneumonia, Legionnaires’ disease, or
Tuberculosis.
Other Tests
• TB Skin Test: aka: scratch or patch
tests, are simple local tests based on
immune responses. Used to check
for specific for exposure to
Tuberculosis.
Other Tests
• Virus Isolation & Identification: a
test that uses T cells to identify &
isolate viruses. Commonly used to
identify polio virus and avian
influenza.
Other Tests
• Bacteria Hemolysis: The ability of
bacterial colonies to induce the
breakdown of RBCs when grown on
blood agar is used to classify certain
microorganisms. This is particularly
useful in classifying streptococcal
species.
Other Tests
• Bacterial Culture & Identifications: is
a method of multiplying microbial
organisms by letting them reproduce
in predetermined culture media
under controlled laboratory
conditions. used as a tool to
determine the cause of infectious
disease by letting the agent multiply
in a predetermined medium.
Other Tests
• Bacterial Culture & Identifications: Can identify
bacteria like Streptococcus responsible for Strep
Throat, S. pnuemonia that causes bacterial
pneumonia, S. aureus that causes osteomyelitis, L.
pneumophila that causes Legionnaires’ disease,
Clostridium tetani that causes tetanus,
Corynebacterium that causes Diphtheria, Bordetella
pertussis that causes Whooping cough, N.
meningitidis that causes bacterial meningitis,
Mycobacterium tuberculosis that causes TB, & C.
botulinum that causes Botulism.
Other Tests
• Rapid Strep Test: aka: rapid antigen
detection test (RADT); is an in-office test
done by a clinician in order to determine
whether or not a patient has
streptococcal pharyngitis also called
Strep Throat.
Other Tests
• Stool Examination stool (feces) sample
can provide doctors with valuable
information about what's going on when
a child has a problem in the stomach,
intestines, or other part of the
gastrointestinal (GI) system. This test is
very helpful in identifying Amebic
dysentery.
Other Tests
• Liver Function Test: a test to determine
how well the liver is filtering the blood.
Some tests are associated with
functionality, some with cellular integrity
and some with the condition of the liver.
An example of a disease that causes
abnormal liver functions is
Mononucleosis.
Other Tests
• EEG (Electroencephalogram): measures
the amount of electrical activity of the
nerves of the brain. Absent EEG activity in
all parts of the brain may be used to
confirm brain death. Abnormal patterns
may result from seizures disorders, St.
Louis encephalitis, tumors, or injuries.
Other Tests
• Western Blot: aka: protein immunoblot;
is a widely used analytical technique used
to detect specific proteins in the given
sample of tissue or blood. Positive
results can be associated with Lyme
disease.
Other Tests
• PCR: a test for pertussis