![]() This final result may or may not be a good thing in this elderly man. The results show a steady improvement in control of the diabetes with the final HbA1c in the non-diabetic range. The results are followed by information provided by the laboratory to assist with interpretation of the results. Again, abnormal results are shown in red followed with H for high. These results show changes in HbA1c at about six-monthly intervals. The MBS item allows the test to be done once per patient per year for this purpose with an HbA1c level equal to or greater than 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) required for a diagnosis. Medicare permits the HbA1c test to be used for diagnosing diabetes. In patients with a significant risk of adverse outcomes from hypoglycaemia (children 70 years) higher target values may be appropriate. This is test results report showing the results of a 70-year old man with type 2 diabetes. All that is red is not always really abnormal! If you have enough tests done it is very likely that one or more results will fall just outside the reference range by chance. These abnormal results are almost certainly not clinically significant. If you look at the reference ranges you will see that these results are only just outside the limits and both of them are normal on the other two occasions tested. You will see that there are two other abnormal results – high monocytes on the 18/May/16 and low lymphocytes on the 23/Jul/16. The results show a low haemoglobin, low haematocrit, low RCC (red cell count) and low MCV (mean cell volume) all of which are typical of iron deficiency anaemia and which would have been caused by the heavy periods. See Reference ranges and what they mean for more information about how these are calculated and why they differ between laboratories. ![]() It is important that you only use the reference range on the report from the lab that performed the analysis and not from any other source as reference ranges may differ between laboratories for some tests. The second to last column on the right marked "Reference", gives the reference interval (or range) of values against which the results are being compared. The abnormal results in this report are clearly marked in red and have a letter after them to show whether they are high (H) or low (L). The results of the blood test taken on the 15th of April are in the first column of results under the date of 15/Apr/16. (A cumulative report is one that provides successive test results over a period of time.) Here is a cumulative report for the full blood count results for a 17-year old girl who first came with her mother to her family doctor in mid-April complaining of very heavy periods and tiredness. The pathologist is available to discuss your results with your doctor. The pathologist-in-charge who is a medical doctor who specialises in interpreting test results and observing and evaluating biological changes to make a diagnosis, will be responsible for your report. Your tests will have been performed by scientists and/or pathologists. Individual pathology laboratories often add their own information and they can vary in the way it is presented. All pathology reports contains certain compulsory information that is essential for interpreting your results. The pathology report is a medical document produced by the pathology practice. Here are some basic pointers about reading results forms. ![]() ![]() We also provide information on reference intervals including a short video. In order to help, we are adding more information to test papes including short case studies such as this one that provide examples of what results can mean and what results forms show. ![]() Understanding what is normal and what is abnormal can be a little daunting. Increasingly, people are having direct access to their pathology test results and with the introduction of the Australian Government's My Health Record. ![]()
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