To screen for diagnose and monitor a range of conditions Specimen:A blood sample drawn from a vein in your arm sometimes a random or a timed urine collection such as a 24-hour urine sample When To Get Tested: As part of a routine metabolic panel when you have symptoms of a disorder or known presence of one affecting your kidneys bones thyroid parathyroid or nerves or when symptoms of significantly increased or decreased calcium concentrations are present when someone is critically ill to monitor ionized calcium levels when someone has certain types cancer when someone is being treated for abnormal calcium levels to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment Test Preparation:Current practices do not require fasting You may be instructed to stop taking certain medications that can affect the test results such as lithium antacids diuretics and vitamin D supplements among others Normal Test Result: normal amount of calcium (somewhere between 8.6 mg/dL to 10.3 mg/dL)

To evaluate the health of your kidneys to help diagnose kidney disease to monitor treatment for kidney disease Specimen:A blood sample drawn from a vein in your arm and or a 24-hour urine sample When To Get Tested: Routinely as part of a comprehensive or basic metabolic panel when your have signs and symptoms that may be due to kidney disease or damage or when you have a condition that may affect your kidneys and or be worsened by kidney dysfunction at intervals to monitor treatment for kidney disease or kidney function while on certain medications Test Preparation:You may be instructed to fast overnight or refrain from eating cooked meat some studies have shown that eating cooked meat prior to testing can temporarily increase the level of creatinine Normal Test Result: 0.84 milligrams per deciliter to 1.21 milligrams per deciliter (74.3 to 107 micromoles per liter), although this can vary from lab to lab, between men and women, and by age

To determine whether you have an infection of your digestive tract due to disease-causing pathogenic bacteria parasites or viruses Specimen:A fresh stool sample collected in a clean container the stool sample should not be contaminated with urine or water once it has been collected the stool should either be taken to the laboratory within two hours after collection or transferred into special transport vials containing preservative solutions When To Get Tested: When you have signs and symptoms such as diarrhea abdominal cramps nausea and or vomiting when you have blood or mucus in your loose stools Test Preparation:None Normal Test Result: A blood sugar level less than 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L) is normal

To detect high levels of uric acid in the blood which could be a sign of the condition gout or to monitor uric acid levels when undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment to detect high levels of uric acid in the urine in order to diagnose the cause of kidney stones and to monitor those with gout who are at risk of developing such stones Specimen:A blood sample drawn from a vein in the arm or a 24-hour urine sample When To Get Tested: When you have joint pain or other symptoms that your healthcare practitioner suspects may be due to gout when you have had or are going to have certain chemotherapy or radiation therapies for cancer when you have recurrent kidney stones when you have gout or are otherwise at risk for kidney stone formation Test Preparation:None may be needed however some institutions recommend fasting Follow any instructions you are given Normal Test Result: 2.4 mg/dL -6.0 mg/dL (female) and 3.4 mg/dL -7.0 mg/dL (male)