GRACIOUS MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS

  A  blood test  is a  laboratory  analysis performed on a  blood  sample that is usually extracted from a  vein in the arm using a  hypodermic needle , or via  fingerprick . Multiple tests for specific blood components, such as a  glucose test  or a  cholesterol test , are often grouped together into one  test panel  called a  blood panel  or  blood work . Blood tests are often used in  health care  to determine  physiological  and  biochemical  states, such as  disease ,  mineral  content,  pharmaceutical drug  effectiveness, and organ function. Typical  clinical  blood panels include a  basic metabolic panel  or a  complete blood count . Blood tests are also used in  drug tests  to detect drug abuse. Adapted from Wikipedia

Adapted from Medical News Today Ultrasound  is  sound waves  with  frequencies  higher than the upper audible limit of human  hearing . Ultrasound is not different from "normal" (audible) sound in its physical properties, except that humans cannot hear it. This limit varies from person to person and is approximately 20  kilohertz (20,000 hertz) in healthy young adults. Ultrasound devices operate with frequencies from 20 kHz up to several gigahertz. Ultrasound is used in many different fields. Ultrasonic devices are used to detect objects and measure distances.  Ultrasound imaging  or sonography is often used in  medicine . In the  nondestructive testing  of products and structures, ultrasound is used to detect invisible flaws. Industrially, ultrasound is used for cleaning, mixing, and accelerating chemical processes. Animals such as  bats  and  porpoises  use ultrasound for locating  prey  and...

Adapted from Massachusetts General Hospital. X-rays are a type of radiation called electromagnetic waves. X-ray imaging creates pictures of the inside of your body. The images show the parts of your body in different shades of black and white. This is because different tissues absorb different amounts of radiation. Calcium in bones absorbs x-rays the most, so bones look white. Fat and other soft tissues absorb less and look gray. Air absorbs the least, so lungs look black. The most familiar use of x-rays is checking for  fractures (broken bones), but x-rays are also used in other ways. For example, chest x-rays can spot pneumonia. Mammograms use x-rays to look for breast cancer. When you have an x-ray, you may wear a lead apron to protect certain parts of your body. The amount of radiation you get from an x-ray is small. For example, a chest x-ray gives out a radiation dose similar to the amount of radiation you're naturally exposed to from the environment over 10 days. Culled from...

Adapted from Bioninja What is an ECG or an EKG?   An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a test that checks how your heart is functioning by measuring the electrical activity of the heart. With each heart beat, an electrical impulse (or wave) travels through your heart. This wave causes the muscle to squeeze and pump blood from the heart. An ECG measures and records the electrical activity that passes through the heart. A doctor can determine if this electrical activity is normal or irregular. An ECG may be recommended if you are experiencing  arrhythmia ,  chest pain , or palpitations and an abnormal ECG result can be a signal of a number of different  heart conditions . Culled from www.heartandstroke.ca