New and Updated Topics
Updated Medical Test Topics
A primary care physician or a specialist in the field reviewed the following medical test topics. All information has been verified for medical accuracy, and new medical information has been added if available. The Test Overview in each test topic has been reorganized to define the test clearly and to explain why it is done. Information on how the test affects the body has been added if appropriate. To provide consistent information across all test topics, standard language has been developed for some topic sections. A link to a medical test information form has been added to the How to Prepare section of all appropriate topics. This form will help people prepare to talk with their health professional about a medical test.
- Allergy Tests : This topic has undergone a new medical review and was found to be accurate and up-to-date.
- Blood Glucose : We now explain that fasting blood sugar can also be used to check for prediabetes. The topic now specifies that the 2-hour postprandial blood sugar test is done exactly 2 hours after the start of a meal.
- Cancer Antigen 125 (CA-125) : We now say that the CA-125 test is not recommended as a screening test for ovarian cancer for women at average risk, because it often has false-positive test results. We also say that women who have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene changes are among those at high risk for ovarian cancer and may have a CA-125 test for screening.
- Cardiac Blood Pool Scan : This topic has undergone a new medical review and was found to be accurate and up-to-date.
- Cardiac Catheterization : We have added that cardiac catheterization is also known as coronary angiogram.
- Cardiac Enzyme Studies : We have updated the normal result numbers for cardiac enzyme studies.
- Chest X-ray : This topic has undergone a new medical review and was found to be accurate and up-to-date.
- Cholesterol and Triglycerides Tests : This topic has undergone a new medical review and was found to be accurate and up-to-date.
- Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Body : This updated topic now mentions the FDA warning about CT scans having the potential to cause problems with some implanted or external medical devices. The time required for a CT scan of the spine also has been updated to reflect current practice.
- Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Head and Face : This updated topic now mentions the FDA warning about CT scans having the potential to cause problems with some implanted or external medical devices.
- Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Spine : This updated topic now mentions the FDA warning about CT scans having the potential to cause problems with some implanted or external medical devices. The time required for a CT scan of the spine also has been updated to reflect current practice.
- Eye Angiogram : In the Risks section, we now say that the injected dye may pose a risk to a fetus.
- Fetal Ultrasound: This topic has undergone a new medical review and was found to be accurate and up-to-date.
- Fetoscopy: We have deleted this targeted topic. Fetoscopy is rarely done. Other technologies or procedures that carry less risk are available to identify birth defects. Fetoscopy would only be done in very specific situations by a highly trained specialist.
- Follicle-Stimulating Hormone : This topic has undergone a new medical review and was found to be accurate and up-to-date.
- Hepatitis B Virus Tests : This updated topic no longer uses the term "carrier" for a person who has chronic hepatitis B, because "carrier" is not an accurate term for this condition.
- Hepatitis C Virus Tests : This topic has undergone a new medical review and was found to be accurate and up-to-date.
- Home Blood Glucose Test : This topic now explains that the average blood glucose value derived from an A1c test may be different from the average glucose reading a person gets at home using a glucometer.
- Ketones : We have deleted the names of the discontinued drugs Geridium, Pyridate, and Urogesic. And we have added the brand name Uristat.
- Lung Function Tests : This updated topic now contains information on residual volume and the multiple-breath washout test. We have also added a statement directing patients to notify their doctors before having lung function tests if they have had surgery on the eyes, chest, or abdomen.
- Luteinizing Hormone : This topic has undergone a new medical review and was found to be accurate and up-to-date.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) : The How to Prepare section now suggests sedative medicine before mentioning open MRI for people who may be bothered by confined spaces, because image quality is better using standard MRI equipment. The What to Think About section includes a recommendation to let the doctor know if you have had a kidney transplant.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Spine : The How to Prepare section now suggests sedative medicine before mentioning open MRI for people who may be bothered by confined spaces, because image quality is better using standard MRI equipment. The Risks section notes that MRI can cause a burn with some medicine patches. The What to Think About section includes a recommendation to let the doctor know if you have had a kidney transplant.
- Myelogram : The topic now states that a person should follow the doctor's instructions for eating and drinking before the test and that a person may not be able to eat or drink for 4 to 8 hours before the test. We no longer say that a laxative may be used before the test or that some people spend the night in the hospital. We now say that the time recommended for bed rest after the procedure is from 4 to 24 hours. Also, the topic now suggests that strenuous activity should be avoided for at least one day after the test. The topic now notes that the procedure sometimes needed to close the hole made by the needle is called an epidural blood patch.
- Obstetric Panel : This topic has undergone a new medical review and was found to be accurate and up-to-date.
- Ophthalmoscopy : We no longer say that direct ophthalmoscopy is done more often than indirect ophthalmoscopy. And we now say that eyedrops that dilate your pupils may affect you for up to 12 hours.
- Oral Glucose Tolerance Test : In accordance with the American Diabetes Association Clinical Practice Recommendations, we have updated the weight for a large baby, one of the risk factors for gestational diabetes.
- Pap Test : This topic has undergone a new medical review and was found to be accurate and up-to-date.
- Pelvic Examination : This topic has undergone a new medical review and was found to be accurate and up-to-date.
- Pelvic Ultrasound : This topic has undergone a new medical review and was found to be accurate and up-to-date.
- Positron Emission Tomography : This updated topic clarifies that the tracer used usually is a substance (such as glucose) that the body can metabolize. We have added that after receiving the tracer, the patient may need to wait 30 to 60 minutes for it to travel through the body. We have clarified that PET scans are used to evaluate cancer, not detect cancer.
- Progesterone : This topic has undergone a new medical review and was found to be accurate and up-to-date.
- Salivary Gland Scan : This topic has undergone a new medical review and was found to be accurate and up-to-date.
- Sleep Studies : This updated topic now contains information about portable sleep monitoring equipment that can be used at home. We say that this equipment may eliminate the need to go to a sleep clinic. The multiple wake test (MWT) is now known as the maintenance of wakefulness test (MWT). And the definition of periodic limb movement disorder has been modified for accuracy.
- Slit Lamp Examination : We now say that eyedrops that dilate your pupils may affect you for up to 12 hours. And we have removed mention of a Hruby lens because it is rarely used.
- Sweat Test : We've revised the Results section based on newer Cystic Fibrosis Foundation guidelines, and we've added results for infants up to 6 months of age.
- Toxoplasmosis Test : We have removed the information that cordocentesis would be used to test for toxoplasmosis. This procedure is not often used, and other techniques that carry less risk are being used.
- Venogram : This topic has undergone a new medical review and was found to be accurate and up-to-date.
- Vision Tests : We have clarified that each eye is usually tested separately with the Snellen (distance) test, whereas both eyes are tested together for the near test. We now describe a Jaeger chart. We've added that eyedrops that dilate the pupils may be used for the refraction test. And we have added that some people are at risk for an allergic reaction from the eyedrops.
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