Blood Tests and Their Uses
Blood tests are a useful and minimally invasive way for your physician to find out how your body is doing. Whether your doctor is looking for evidence of a specific condition, such as high cholesterol, or simply checking various levels as part of a routine physical, the blood is an excellent indicator of your body's overall health.
Blood is typically drawn from a vein on the inside of your arm, where it is fairly easy for the phlebotomist (the name of the technician who draws your blood) to puncture. Several vials of blood are often needed since blood that has been tested for one thing can usually not be tested for anything else. Most phlebotomists are quite skilled at entering the vein and taking the needed samples with minimal pain to the patient.
After it is drawn, your blood will be sent to a laboratory for testing. The results are then evaluated against the "normal range." Finally, your physician will determine if any anomalies exist, and if they do, are they significant.
