Medical Tests Sourcebook, 7th Ed.

Regular medical tests can help find problems before they start. They also can help find problems early, when one’s chances for treatment and cure are better. Screening tests identify risk factors for specific disorders, while diagnostic tests find markers of disease or dysfunction. Medical tests assist in diagnosing the causes of symptoms, making treatment decisions, and assessing treatment effectiveness. When faced with decisions about health, consumers need to understand the benefits and limitations of medical tests and how test results guide treatment and lifestyle choices.

Medical Tests Sourcebook, Seventh Edition provides updated information about exams, tests, and other screening, diagnostic, and disease monitoring procedures. It discusses preventive care guidelines and the screening tests used for such specific conditions as allergies, cancer, celiac disease, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, kidney and thyroid dysfunction, and others. Details about laboratory blood tests, biopsies, throat cultures, toxicology screens, urinalysis, and genetic tests are also presented. Imaging tests, such as x-ray, ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance, nuclear, and thermal imaging are described, and facts are offered about electrical, endoscopic, and home-use tests. The book concludes with a glossary of related terms, a list of online health screening tools, and directories of breast and cervical cancer early detection programs and other resources for more information.