Q&A for How to Read and Understand Medical Laboratory Results

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  • Question
    What does it mean if the results of my urine test "urine blood" says small H?
    Mark Ziats, MD, PhD
    Internal Medicine Physician
    Dr. Mark Ziats is an Internal Medicine Physician, Scientist, Entrepreneur, and the Medical Director of xBiotech. With over five years of experience, he specializes in biotechnology, genomics, and medical devices. He earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Baylor College of Medicine, a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Cambridge, and a BS in Biochemistry and Chemistry from Clemson University. He also completed the INNoVATE Program in Biotechnology Entrepreneurship at The Johns Hopkins University - Carey Business School. Dr. Ziats is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
    Internal Medicine Physician
    Expert Answer
    I am assuming this means 'high,' as in blood was present at an amount higher than what is considered normal for that test.
  • Question
    What do the acronyms HGB, HCT, and MCH stand for?h
    Mark Ziats, MD, PhD
    Internal Medicine Physician
    Dr. Mark Ziats is an Internal Medicine Physician, Scientist, Entrepreneur, and the Medical Director of xBiotech. With over five years of experience, he specializes in biotechnology, genomics, and medical devices. He earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Baylor College of Medicine, a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Cambridge, and a BS in Biochemistry and Chemistry from Clemson University. He also completed the INNoVATE Program in Biotechnology Entrepreneurship at The Johns Hopkins University - Carey Business School. Dr. Ziats is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
    Internal Medicine Physician
    Expert Answer
    HGB = hemoglobin HCT = hematocrit (the hemoglobin concentration in blood) MCH = mean corpuscular hemoglobin
  • Question
    Why were my blood creatinine level results of 0.57 mg/dL flagged?
    Mark Ziats, MD, PhD
    Internal Medicine Physician
    Dr. Mark Ziats is an Internal Medicine Physician, Scientist, Entrepreneur, and the Medical Director of xBiotech. With over five years of experience, he specializes in biotechnology, genomics, and medical devices. He earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Baylor College of Medicine, a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Cambridge, and a BS in Biochemistry and Chemistry from Clemson University. He also completed the INNoVATE Program in Biotechnology Entrepreneurship at The Johns Hopkins University - Carey Business School. Dr. Ziats is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
    Internal Medicine Physician
    Expert Answer
    That is a low level for Creatinine. This can be normal in some people (generally those with a smaller body size), but it can also be a sign of malnutrition and other things.
  • Question
    What does it mean if I have elevated Lipase?
    Mark Ziats, MD, PhD
    Internal Medicine Physician
    Dr. Mark Ziats is an Internal Medicine Physician, Scientist, Entrepreneur, and the Medical Director of xBiotech. With over five years of experience, he specializes in biotechnology, genomics, and medical devices. He earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Baylor College of Medicine, a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Cambridge, and a BS in Biochemistry and Chemistry from Clemson University. He also completed the INNoVATE Program in Biotechnology Entrepreneurship at The Johns Hopkins University - Carey Business School. Dr. Ziats is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
    Internal Medicine Physician
    Expert Answer
    Lipase is high when the pancreas is inflamed.Tthis can have a number of causes including gallstones, heavy alcohol use, and others
  • Question
    If my lab results show that my hgb level is 11.4, hct level is 35.4, MCV level is 77.8, MCH level is 25.0, MCHC level is 32.2, and RDW level is 15.6. Does this sound like some type of anemia or like more testing should be done?
    Mark Ziats, MD, PhD
    Internal Medicine Physician
    Dr. Mark Ziats is an Internal Medicine Physician, Scientist, Entrepreneur, and the Medical Director of xBiotech. With over five years of experience, he specializes in biotechnology, genomics, and medical devices. He earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Baylor College of Medicine, a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Cambridge, and a BS in Biochemistry and Chemistry from Clemson University. He also completed the INNoVATE Program in Biotechnology Entrepreneurship at The Johns Hopkins University - Carey Business School. Dr. Ziats is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
    Internal Medicine Physician
    Expert Answer
    I cannot answer a question like this without knowing a whole lot more about the patient's medical history and doing a physical exam. Speak with your primary physician or the doctor who ordered the tests about your results.
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