Commonly Ordered Blood Tests

Troponin - Troponin tests are used, together with an electrocardiogram (ECG), in people with persistent chest pain taken to hospital as an emergency to see if they have had a heart attack. In a heart attack a blood clot stops the normal flow of blood and oxygen to the muscle. Without oxygen the heart muscle cells die and release troponin into the bloodstream. The more extensive the damage is, the greater the release and the higher the blood concentrations become. Concentrations can increase within two or three hours and may remain high for 10 to 14 days.

D-Dimer - The main use of D-Dimer is in ruling-out venous blood clots as a cause for symptoms in the legs or lungs. If your D-dimer result is negative it is extremely unlikely you have a significant venous blood clot. If a D-dimer is positive this does not mean that you have a blood clot, as it is raised in many conditions. D-dimer is therefore not useful for ruling-in or confirming a diagnosis of blood clots.
Group & Screen - specifies ABO and RhD typing. Sent in any bleeding patients/patients who are needing to go to theatre.

HCG - Human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is a hormone produced in the placenta of a pregnant woman, , which starts to be produced around 6 days after fertilisation. A pregnancy test is a specific blood or urine test that can detect hCG and confirm or exclude pregnancy.

Blood Cultures - Blood cultures are performed to detect and identify bacteria and yeasts (a type of fungus) in the blood. Infections of the bloodstream are caused most commonly by bacteria (bacteraemia), but can also be caused by a fungus (fungaemia) or a virus (viraemia). The source of the infection is typically a specific site within the body. Both aerobic and anerobic bottles, must be filled with at least 8mls.