A biochemical blood test is an affordable and effective way to determine the existing diseases of the body. The work of all organs and systems can be controlled using it, because in most cases of diseases, this type of analysis is indicated. Thus, it is possible to clarify the diagnosis, prescribe a further examination, and also make preventive diagnostics. Preparation for blood donation for biochemical analysis should be carried out without fail.
For what reasons can result distortion occur?
A biochemical blood test is a diagnostic method that allows you to evaluate the work and condition of all human organs.
Everyone has come across this procedure. In order for the analysis to be successful, a person in the morning on an empty stomach must donate blood from a vein.
The nurse pulls a special tourniquet in the forearm. Then he punctures the vein with a needle and collects blood into test tubes. A person does not control this process in any way, but proper preparation for blood donation for biochemical analysis is of great importance. This is what determines the reliability of the result. Blood also does not clot before the due date.
Standard preparation
The standard preparation process is quite simple, the main thing is to follow all the recommendations of specialists. You can ask a nurse in advance.
The main condition for biochemistry analysis is the patient’s empty stomach. It is not necessary to keep time early in the morning. It can be evening, the main thing is that at least 6 hours have passed from the moment of the last meal, it is better if 8. Snacking is also undesirable. Snacks include tea, coffee, especially sweet. Clean sugar-free and still water is ideal. You can drink it. If you have to donate blood for sugar, even brush your teeth without using a paste, in addition, mouthwashes can also contain sweeteners and other substances that will negatively affect the analysis.
Combination with other studies
Before other tests are given and procedures are performed, you need to donate blood from a vein. Especially if it is X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, droppers and injections. All of these types of examinations and procedures can greatly distort the result. How to prepare for a biochemical blood test? This question interests many.
How does food affect the result?
In the evening, before the prescribed blood test, it is better not to get too full. This will overload the gastrointestinal tract. And if you need to identify diseases in the liver, pancreas, gall bladder, then it is better to keep a diet for 2-3 days. Especially fatty, fried, salty foods, fast food, sauces will negatively affect organs and distort the result.
The fats that a person ate the day before can provoke high coagulability. Turbid blood serum will become unsuitable for research.
Analysis and medicines
Any medications are stopped in advance. This applies to vitamins, oral contraceptives, antihistamines, painkillers, hormones, and antibacterial drugs. Only after this is a biochemical blood test possible. Preparing for it is a responsible matter.
There are cases when it is not possible to cancel the medicine, but the attending physician should be aware of this. If you need to conduct a second blood test, then you need to do this in the same laboratory. The time of day should be approximately the same. Then the result will be reliable. This is how preparation for biochemistry goes, blood donation should be done according to the rules.
What indicators are included in biochemistry?
A biochemical blood test takes into account certain indicators. Only the doctor should decrypt the result. Self-decryption is not allowed. If a deviation from the norm of any one indicator is detected, then this does not necessarily indicate a pathology.
The main indicators of blood biochemistry include:
Glucose is the most important source of energy in the body. Carbohydrate compounds are broken down and absorbed in the small intestine. Blood sugar can talk about diabetes. You can also identify how effective the treatment of this disease was. It is important to monitor the level of glucose, since it is it that is responsible for the energy in the body.
AST and ALT are enzymes that are synthesized in the liver and are indicators of its work. Available in liver cells and in small quantities in the blood. If there are too many of them, then this may indicate the destruction of the liver cells and that the enzymes are released into the blood.
Alkaline phosphatase, which is an enzyme found in almost all body tissues. But most of them are rich in liver and bone tissue.
Cholesterol is a lipid that is involved in the metabolism. An increase in its level increases the likelihood of heart and vascular diseases, since it can accumulate on their walls. This is fraught with narrowing of their clearance and blockage. So myocardial infarction may develop.
Cholesterol affects male sex hormones and renews cells.
Bilirubin. It happens general, direct and indirect in the biochemical analysis of blood. Hemoglobin breaks down and bilirubin forms. The liver helps it to be eliminated from the body. If too much bilirubin is found, this may indicate that the liver is not healthy. This enzyme is yellow in color, with its increased content in the body, there is jaundice.
Urea, which forms when amino acids break down. It is excreted from the body by the kidneys and, accordingly, shows their normal or abnormal activity.
Albumin, which is a protein produced in the liver and removed by the kidneys. Shows how healthy these organs are. It is the main and most numerous blood protein. Albumin has a transport function and normalization of blood pressure.
Iron - also carries out a transport function, participates in hematopoiesis and metabolic processes. Normal iron in the blood is normal hemoglobin. Depending on which particular indicator will be examined, preparation for blood donation for biochemical analysis also takes place. About it further.
What is the norm?
Age and gender influence indicators that are normal. There are certain tables in which this norm is given. But in any case, the doctor must decrypt the analysis. As a rule, all indicators are taken into account immediately.
What do deviations from the norm mean?
A biochemical blood test is needed to determine the existing diseases.
So, elevated cholesterol can indicate metabolic disorders.
A decrease in blood sugar is possible with hormonal disorders in the blood; an increase most often indicates diabetes mellitus.
If an increase in albumin is detected, there may be dehydration. With hereditary genetic factors, an increase and decrease in albumin in the blood is possible.
Excess urea indicates that the kidneys are not functioning well. With a decrease in urea, a large amount of ammonia is formed in the body, this happens with poisoning. Also, various liver diseases lead to a decrease in urea.
The release of ALT and AST means that liver cells have died.
For the results to be reliable, careful preparation for blood donation for biochemical analysis is needed.
How to prepare for a biochemical blood test?
Preparation for a biochemical blood test involves fairly serious restrictions on diet and daily routine. Consider the main recommendations, depending on which indicators will be investigated.
- When testing blood for urea a couple of days before the analysis, you should not eat kidneys, liver, fish dishes, deli meats, as well as coffee and tea. Physical education is better not to do on the eve of the analysis.
- If you have to detect cholesterol, it is also important to know how to prepare for biochemistry. Blood donation should be no earlier than 12 hours after a meal. 14 days before the analysis, you need to stop taking drugs that lower lipid levels.
- As already mentioned, when testing blood for glucose, you can’t eat or drink anything, and even brushing your teeth is not recommended. All medicines on the day of admission should be stopped.
Additional preparation
There are some more indicators that are often detected during blood biochemistry. This is a glucose tolerance test (GTT), haptoglobin, alpha-2-macroglobulin, fibrotest. Let's consider each of them in more detail.
- A glucose tolerance test is performed with preliminary glucose results. Here, too, preparation for biochemistry is needed. Blood donation will be carried out twice. The sample is taken on an empty stomach and with a glucose load 2 hours after it. Interestingly, for several days the usual diet and physical activity are preserved.
- Haptoglobin - estrogens, sulfasalazine, androgens, tamoxifen, and oral contraceptives are excluded before analysis.
- Alpha-2-macroglobulin - three days before the analysis of this indicator, you can not eat meat.
- Fibrotest - oranges, carrots, ascorbic acid are excluded for a couple of days, since these products can lead to a change in the color of blood serum.
This article discusses the preparation of a patient for a biochemical blood test.