Test types: what each panel includes and how to read it
Blood counts, chemistry panels, lipid profiles, thyroid and hormone panels, urinalysis: what each test type covers, why it is ordered, and how to approach the report. Every panel page links to the individual markers inside it.
Semen analysis
Concentration, motility, morphology: WHO 2021 limits and how to take it.
WHO limits →First-trimester screening
Double test PAPP-A + β-hCG at 11–13 weeks: what risk means and MoM.
Weeks 11–13⁺⁶ →Pap test (cytology)
Cervical cytology: NILM, ASC-US, LSIL — what comes next.
Screening + HPV →Fecal occult blood
Screening for hidden GI bleeding: the immunochemical test with no diet, ranges and next steps.
Key test 50+ →Complete blood count
The most common blood test: red cells, white cells, platelets, hemoglobin, and hematocrit in one report.
Comprehensive metabolic panel
Fourteen substances from one blood sample: glucose, electrolytes, proteins, liver enzymes, bilirubin, and kidney waste products.
Lipid panel
Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides — the fats that decide cardiovascular risk, from one fasting sample.
Urinalysis
One urine sample checked three ways — by eye, by dipstick, and under the microscope.
Thyroid function tests
TSH first, then free T4 and T3 — the hormone ladder that shows how the thyroid is working.
Sex hormones and cortisol
Estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, LH, FSH, prolactin, and cortisol — the hormones behind cycles, fertility, and stress response.
Coagulation Panel
The blood-clotting panel: INR, APTT, fibrinogen, and D-dimer. Required before surgery and during anticoagulant therapy.
Tumor Markers
PSA, CA-125, and AFP: where these tests genuinely help and why "test everything" without an indication is a bad strategy.
Iron studies
Ferritin, serum iron, transferrin, TIBC, transferrin saturation, and hepcidin — the full picture of iron stores, transport, and regulation.
Rheumatic tests
Rheumatoid factor, anti-CCP, ASO, CRP, and ESR — the basic workup for joint pain and suspected systemic inflammation.