Curtis302 Asked : I am HIV positive, diagnosed just over 3 years ago and I have been having regular tests to check my CD4 count. My doctor told me that I only need to do it once every 6 months but I do it every 3 months and pay for it myself. Twice a year I check my viral load as well. In the last 3 tests, my CD4 has been >> Read More ...
What is an ELISA HIV Test ELISA stands for Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay. It is the most common HIV test and is used up till this day to detect HIV infection. This test detects the presence of HIV antibodies in the bloodstream. The immune system forms these proteins known as antibodies so that immune cells can target >> Read More ...
The presence of signs and symptoms of a kidney stone may prompt further tests and investigations to confirm the presence of a stone, identify the location, size, shape and type of kidney stone and indicate a possible cause of the kidney stone. Some of these tests can be conducted immediately, like a urine dipstick, while >> Read More ...
Randell67 Asked : I am a 42 year old male and have been fit for most of my life. Recently I was feeling a bit tired and weak at times and I went to the doctor. I was worried that it may be my heart or something because I was getting some of these symptoms like chest pain and short breath. All the tests came back clear >> Read More ...
Diagnosing the cause of dyspnea depends on the clinical evaluation and the results of investigative tests that will be conducted. Due to the various reasons for shortness of breath, some of the tests will not be directly related to the lungs. Not all the tests mentioned below will be conducted and the attending physician >> Read More ...
Every case of chest pain with one or more red flag signs or symptoms (refer to Chest Pain Diagnosis) is treated as a medical emergency. In most settings, an x-ray and ECG (electrocardiogram) are the two investigative techniques that can be conducted with immediate test results being made available. Other tests may >> Read More ...
Approach to Chest Pain Upon presenting to your doctor with chest pain, a rational and step-by-step approach to diagnosing the cause of the pain will be followed. This will include a thorough case taking and physical examination which may be followed by tests and investigations to exclude or confirm differential diagnoses. >> Read More ...
What is a Microbial Culture? A microbial culture is one of the diagnostic methods of microbiology and is used to determine the cause of an infectious disease by allowing the microorganism to multiply in certain specific media under controlled laboratory conditions. This helps to determine the type as well as severity of >> Read More ...
What Is Blood Pressure (BP)? Blood pressure, abbreviated BP, is the pressure of the blood against the arterial walls. Blood pressure results from the force of the heart that pumps the blood into the arteries, and the force of the arteries as they resist the blood flow. Why Are Two Values in the Blood Pressure Reading? >> Read More ...
What Is Medical History? A medical history or anamnesis (Greek anamnesis = recalling) is a summary of your symptoms, past diseases, therapies, medical investigations and diagnoses (personal medical history), and chronic diseases running in your family (family medical history), as you reveal them to your doctor (Picture 1). >> Read More ...
