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“TESTs in Life” Disease/condition notes
24-Hr pH monitoring GERD The gold standard in monitoring, not manometry
5HIAA-Test Carcinoid tumor of the the main metabolite of serotonin
(5-hydrox yindole acetic enterochromaffin using a 24-hr urine sample with an acidic
acid test) (Kultschizsk y) cells additive to maintain a pH <3
(NOTE: hyperserotonemia is one of the
MC biological findings in autism)
Allen’s test Patency of ulnar artery Occlude both ulnar and radial arteries with
the examiner’s fingers and patient’s hand
on a fist
Release the fist and the ulnar artery
occlusion
Assess the blood flow to the hand
A test done before taking ABG
Australia antigen test Hepatitis B
Bence Jones protein test Multiple m yeloma Urine test
Bentonite flocculation Rheumatoid arthritis sensitized bentonite particles are added to
test inactivated serum; if half of the particles are
clumped while the other half remain in suspension,
the test is positive
Bernstein test GERD done to reproduce the pain when the lower
Acid Perfusion test esophagus is irrigated with an acid solution
BLOT TECHNIQUES DNA: Southern blot
RNA: Northern blot
Protein: W estern blot (confirmatory HIV test)
CT s c a n The current definitive test to establish emphysema
Casoni skin test Echinococcus Hydatid cyst
granulosus a test for hydatid infection used in humans;
(Dog tapeworm) the production of a wheal and flare reaction at the
site of intradermal injection of hydatid fluid
indicates infection
Chloride Sweat test Cystic Fibrosis Normal range: 70-90
Complement Fixation Syphillis W asserman reaction:
test the serodiagnosis for syphilis
RPR: rapid serologic test
Dane particle Hepatitis Presence indicates mature hepatitis virion
Dick test Scarlet fever immunity Streptococcus pyogenes: Exotoxin A
two different injections, one into each arm of a
patient:
one arm: 0.1cc of cultured scarlet fever
toxin; causes redness, tenderness and
swelling (>10mm) after 24 hours; the
2
person is not immune to scarlet fever
the other arm: neutralized toxin; normally
shows no swelling
Schurlz Charton reaction (blanching of rash)
Ds DNA Very specific for SLE
Elek’s test Corynebaterium In vitro virulence test for the toxigenicity of
diphtheria C. diphtheriae
ELISA test Screening test for HIV
FEV/Fi02 ratio Bronchial asthma Decreased in acute asthmatic attack
Frei test Lymphogranuloma Antigen made from sterile pus aspirated from
inguinale previously unruptured abscesses, produced a
reaction in patients with lymphogranuloma
inguinale when injected intradermally
Graham Cellophane test Enterobius vermicularis Specimen to be obtained at close to midnight;
(Scotch tape) preianal area, where female eggs migrate to lay
eggs
Guthrie test PhenylKetonUria Part of newborn screening
Test at 48-72 hours from birth
Other tests for PKU: Presence of PAH gene
FeCl3 to detect urinary agar gel plate containing Bacillus
phenylpyruvate; a less subtilis and B-2-thienylalanine
reliable screening test agar gel is able to support bacterial growth
but the B-2-thienylalanine inhibits bacterial
DNA probes facilitate growth
prenatal diagnosis of In the presence of extra phenylalanine
defects in phenylalanine leached from the impregnated filter paper
hydrox ylase or disk, the inhibition is overcome and the
dihydrobiopterin bacteria grow.
The amount of bacterial growth, measured
as the diameter of the colony, is roughly
proportional to the amount of
phenylalanine in the serum
Harada Mori Culture test Strongyloides a combination of filter paper, fecal specimen, and
stercoralis tap water placed in a centrifuge tube; provides an
environment for nematode eggs to hatch and
larvae to develop
Hemoglobin Bart Hydrops fetalis Presence of 4 gamma chains (tetramer)
Test
st
Hepatitis panel HBsAg: the surface antigen; the 1st to surface
HBCAg: the core antigen; the window period
HBeAg: qualitative marker; period of infectivity
Heterophile antibody test Infectious test for specific EBV antibodies: early antigens
(Monospot) mononucleosis (EA), and viral capsid antigen (VCA)
Other antigen: EBNA (EB nuclear antigen)
Indirect In SLE:
Immunofluorescence (+)ANA anti-nuclear Ab
(+)aENA anti-extractable nuclear Ag
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(+)DsDNA highly specific for SLE
(+)anti-Smith Ab
In drug-induced lupus: anti-Histone Ab
Other markers in SLE also present in the ff:
Systemic sclerosis: Anti-U1 snRNP
SS-A, Sjogren’s: anti-Ro Ab
SS-B, Sjogren’s: anti-La Ab
Kato Katz test Schistosomia japonicum staining a sieved fecal sample and
examining it under a microscope; messy
total number of stained eggs are counted
and used to calculate the number of eggs
per gram
M-Fayden’s reaction Anthrax Etiology: Bacillus anthracis
Mammogram Breast CA
Mantoux test Tuberculosis Intradermal injection
Site is examined after 48 up to 72 hours
after injection
(+) if >/=10mm
If patient has HIV or immunocompromised,
cut off is only 5mm
Delayed hypersensitivity (Type IV)
Muscle biopsy Trichinella spiralis The gold standard
Encysted larvae
Nardi test For dysfunction of the Morphine-neostigmine provocation test
Sphincter of Oddi
Northern blot Blot technique in Uses the RNA component
electrophoresis
Osmotic Fragility test Hereditary Spectrin
spherocytosis Hemolysis
Howell-Jolly bodies
Anemia, hyperbilirubinemia, splenomegaly
Papanicolau smear Cervical cancer HPV 16, 18
Has to begin at age 18, or at the initiation of sexual
intercourse; and then annually
Paul Bunnel test Infectious Epstein Barr virus
mononuclesois sensitive for heterophile antibodies
produced by the human immune system in
response to EBV infection
atypical lymphoc ytosis
Quellung reaction Streptococcus Bacterial capsular swelling and opacity caused by
pneumonia the binding of antibodies to their capsule
Klebsiella pneumonia (polysaccharide antigen), which makes them
Haemophilus influenzae visible under the microscope
Neisseria meningitidis
Salmonella “Some Killers Have Nice Shiny Bodies”
Group B Strep
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Rapid Plasma Reagent syphillis Screening test
Rapid Urease test PUD Most specific (95-100%) invasive diagnostic
procedure using endoscopy with biopsy
Reid Index Chronic bronchitis
SARS Test RT-PCR: rapid and sensitive
ELISA: sensitive, but not rapid
Schilling’s test Vit. B12 absorption Strict vegetarians
Pernicious anemia
Lack of Castle’s Intrinsic factor
Schirmer’s test Sjogren’s syndrome
Secretin Stimulation Gastrinoma Most sensitive and specific gastrin provocative test
(Provocative) test (Zollinger-Ellison Confirmatory test in the diagnosis
syndrome)
String test Giardiasis swallow a string with a weighted gelatin
(duodenal parasite test) capsule on the end; 4 hours later it is
pulled back out
Any bile, blood, or mucus attached to the
string is examined under the microscope
for cells and parasites or parasite eggs
Southern Blot Uses DNA component
Transesophageal Infective Endocarditis The gold standard in the diagnosis
2DEcho
Typhoid screening Bone Marrow aspiration: the gold standard
st
1 week: blood
nd
2 week: urine
rd
3 week: stool
DOC: Ceftriaxone
nd
2 line drug: Chloramphenicol
Urine FeCl3 test PKU Less reliable test than Guthrie
Vanillymandelic acid Pheochromocytoma, Test for presence of urine metanephrine
(VMA) test Neuroblastoma
W estern Blot Confirmatory test for
HIV
W hiff’s test Bacterial vaginosis KOH (Potassium wet mount) Test
W ill give off a characteristic “fishy odor”
Presence of “clue cells”
Amsel criteria: ph >4.5