Medical Investigations Flashcards

Flashcards to review the basics of medical investigations, including lab tests, radiology, and other diagnostic procedures.

Triad for Diagnosis

History taking, Clinical examination, Investigations

Types of Medical Investigations

Laboratory, Radiological, Interventional

Factors in Choosing a Test

Indication, Cost, Benefits

Benefits of Early Detection and Diagnosis

Individualize Treatment Plans, Improve Diagnosis and Treatment Outcomes

Doctors in a Laboratory

Clinical pathology, Microbiology, Histopathology, Cytopathology

Characteristics of a Laboratory Test

Accuracy, Cost, Interfering factors, Precision, Reference range, Sensitivity, Specificity, Specimen collection

Sensitivity (true positive rate)

Probability of a positive test result, conditioned on the individual truly being positive.

Specificity (true negative rate)

Probability of a negative test result, conditioned on the individual truly being negative.

Haematological tests

Deals with investigations of abnormalities of blood cells, their precursors, and of the hemostatic and clotting mechanisms

CBC test

Haematological

Biochemistry or Chemical Pathology

Deals with investigations of metabolic abnormalities of the body in disease states, assays of various compounds.

Serological test

Laboratory procedures carried out on a sample of blood serum for the purpose of detecting antibodies or antibody-like substances that appear specifically in association with certain diseases.

Histopathological & cytopathological investigations

Deals with identification of structural and cytological changes in diseased tissues obtained by biopsy procedures

Sampling methods for Histopathology

Fine needle aspiration, True-cut biopsy, Fluid aspiration (Pleural, Pericardial, Peritoneal, Synovial, CSF)

Radiology Techniques

X-ray, Sonography (Ultrasound), CT, PET CT, MRI, Angiography

X-ray

Discovered by German scientist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen on November 8, 1895

Fluoroscopy

Imaging technique using X-rays to obtain real-time moving images of internal structures.

CT Scan

Medical imaging technique used to obtain detailed internal images of the body noninvasively for diagnostic purposes; formerly Computed Axial Tomography (CAT) scan

Contrast (Dye) in CT scans

Substance taken by mouth or injected intravenously to make organs or tissues more visible.

PET CT

Uses a radioactive tracer to detect diseased cells, aiding in differentiation of malignant from benign lesions.

MRI

Medical imaging technique using magnetic fields and radio waves to generate images of the organs in the body.

Angiography

X-ray test to check blood vessels, using a special dye to highlight them.

Sonography

Diagnostic medical procedure using high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to produce dynamic visual images of organs, tissues, or blood flow.

Echocardiography

Test using sound waves to produce live images of the heart, monitoring its function and valves.

Endoscopy

Test to look inside the body using a long, thin tube with a camera (endoscope) inserted through a natural opening.

Electrocardiography (ECG/EKG)

Process of recording the heart's electrical activity through repeated cardiac cycles.

Spirometry

Pulmonary function test to differentiate between lung diseases, assess severity, and response to treatment.

Audiometry

Test for hearing.

Skin prick test

To detect allergen in bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis or urticaria

Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) Test

Measures how fast an electrical impulse moves through your nerve

Electromyography (EMG)

Diagnostic test that measures how well the muscles respond to the electrical signals emitted to specialized nerve cells called motor nerves