If a medical test result is inconclusive, the sample did not provide enough information to confirm a positive or negative result. A person may need another test. People can have various medical tests ...

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test detects genetic material from a pathogen or abnormal cell sample. Ways of collecting samples include a nasal swab, a saliva swab, or taking a sample of blood.

Your doctor may recommend the creatine phosphokinase (CPK) test if there's a need to measure CPK enzyme levels in your blood. The cells in your body require this creatine kinase enzyme to generate ...

Urine tests measure specific substances in your urine, such as electrolytes, proteins, and bacteria. These tests can reveal a lot about your health, particularly when gradual changes or big jumps ...

Rapid COVID tests are convenient and easy to use because you can take them at home. But it's important to know how to interpret their results, when you should take another rapid test and when you ...

New COVID-19 restrictions for international travel and other activities are fueling consumer demand for highly accurate polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests with rapid turnaround times. Some ...

The U.S. health care system primarily focuses on treating illnesses rather than preventing them. Many chronic diseases, like heart disease, develop without obvious symptoms until they are advanced. A ...

What Is the Immunohistochemistry Test? The immunohistochemistry (IHC) test can tell your cancer doctor (oncologist) whether you have certain types of breast cancer. Professionals in a lab check a ...

Thea van de Mortel teaches into the Graduate Infection Prevention and Control program at Griffith University. You can now buy rapid antigen tests in supermarkets and pharmacies to test yourself at ...

Patients can access their own health records — including test results — as soon as they're available. While it might sound beneficial, in some cases, people are receiving life-changing diagnoses ...

Though not infallible, alcohol tests are a dependable way to determine whether someone has consumed alcohol in the past few months. An alcohol hair test can detect whether a person has consumed ...