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does lab make a difference?.......

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Posted 12/24/2007 3:04 AM (GMT 0)
Hi. Just wondering what lab is better for Lupus testing, Lab Corp or Quest? Or are they both compatable?

Thanks

Posted 12/24/2007 3:34 AM (GMT 0)
Hi KaAl, Great question KaAl . . . I have wondered if there is a difference between labs. I wonder if there is any rating system on major labs. I have actually preferred the lab work done at our local hospital. . . but I have to pay 20% of the bill. If I use Lab One (Quest), it is totally paid for. Maybe some of the others have some knowledge about this. Blessings!
Posted 12/24/2007 3:56 AM (GMT 0)
I don't know the answer either but I have compared different labs my different doctors have used and I noticed that the normal range is not always the same. On some lab tests that said I was normal I would have been considered high or low if it had been done at the other lab. I'm not sure why that is though.
carol
Posted 12/26/2007 4:59 AM (GMT 0)
Carol,

Their is sometimes a wide variance on ranges.  A good doctor will not only look at a specific value but at all the others as well.  We all have slightly different chemistry and what is normal for one is not for another.  I have a myostis disease and one of the primary test is for CPK which measures muscle breakdown.  Different labs are all over the place in values but in truth trends up and down are more important than the absolute value.

As medical researchers get better data these values are often adjusted to reflect the new information anyway.

Bill

Posted 12/26/2007 7:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Everyone.  I have a BS in medical technology (lab), so I have your answer.  As each laboratory buys any "machine" to run tests, the lab is required to run numerous random samples thru the machine, calculate the "average" and establish a range for that machine, in their lab, using their patient's blood. Therefore, each lab has a different set of normal values (an expected range) even if they are using the same brand of machine as a lab across town. 

Posted 12/26/2007 8:16 PM (GMT 0)
I have no clue on labs. I do know results will vary by lab and lab tech.
Posted 12/27/2007 12:46 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you butterflake . . . that makes very good sense!! It sounds like it might be similar to a bathroom scale. Mine may very slightly from yours, but if you step on the same scale every day at the same time, you will see the gain or loss correctly. It sounds like it might be a good idea to be using the same lab repeatedly when possible. Thanks!! Blessings!
Posted 12/27/2007 4:23 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, Butterflake is absolutely right.  For my blood coagulation tests (PT, INR), I have to go to the same lab every week because each lab will have a slightly different calibrated machine.  The lab I go to vs the lab at one of the hospitals, for example, can be off by 30%. My INR can be 2.8 at one lab, and the same sample tested at another will be 3.4.  BIG difference.  So if I use a different lab every week, I'm not getting consistant results.  Stick with one lab and just go to it for everything.

 

This is a great thread.  Good for asking the question KaAl!

 

Ginny

Posted 12/29/2007 4:14 AM (GMT 0)
This did turn out to be an informative thread. Ok, got an extention to this thread........what about the best time to get your blood drawn, does it matter? For example, is it better to get it drawn on a monday verses a thursday when the wk end is right around the corner? Will the blood "sit" too long?
I wonder if this makes a difference?!!!

KaAl
Posted 12/29/2007 5:15 AM (GMT 0)

The doctors I work for use lab Corp and the local hospital. It depends on the type of tests ordered.

  I think depending on the blood tests orderd would play a factor in when to get them done. Some blood tests take alot longer to get the results than others. I think its better to get blood work done on a monday and they should all be back by the next monday. Thats just my opinion. Take care.

                                                               Babs

Posted 12/29/2007 9:39 AM (GMT 0)
KaAl . . . I have had my lab ask me NOT to do some of my testing on a Friday for that very reason. They also ask me to come early in the day for some of my tests. It depends if your lab is "sending out" your blood to be tested. The hospitals usually do it "in house" so it really shouldn't matter when you have it drawn there. I would call YOUR lab with YOUR labe requests and ask. Some labs need to be done after fasting and some don't matter. I usually go straight to the lab after my doctor appointment and ask them about best time etc. Usually they can do it right away. Blessings!
Posted 12/31/2013 2:15 AM (GMT 0)
My Rhuemy prefers Lab Corp. She said the way that they do the ANA testing (florescent) is more accurate than Quest. I can say from my lab work using Lab Corp my ANA has been positive and using Quest it was negative.
Posted 1/4/2014 4:01 PM (GMT 0)
I have noticed through Quest my ANA has been significantly high 1:1280 on two different occasions, six months apart.

In between that six months it was drawn and tested through Lab Corp and it was completely negative. Then tested again later and it was 1:80.

I can not imagine two labs varying so significantly in their testing.
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