Latest news with #medicaltesting
Health Line
10 hours ago
- Health
- Health Line
A Liver Ultrasound: What This Procedure Means
Your doctor may recommend a liver ultrasound to check for signs of liver disease, and knowing what to expect can help put you at ease. A liver ultrasound is one of a few tests your doctor can order if they want to check your liver. An ultrasound scan (also known as sonography) is a noninvasive procedure that captures live images of your organs using high-frequency sound waves. A liver ultrasound is an essential tool that helps doctors see your liver and its blood vessels in real time. It's a type of abdominal ultrasound. If your doctor has ordered a liver ultrasound, it might mean they want to confirm or rule out a liver condition. Keep reading to learn what conditions a liver ultrasound can detect, what to expect from the procedure, how accurate it is, how much you might need to pay for it, and other useful information. Why is an ultrasound needed to test for liver disease? Liver disease is a general term that refers to a group of conditions affecting your liver. These conditions may have different causes, but all of them can damage your liver and affect your general health. Some of the most common liver conditions are: hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver steatotic liver disease, formerly known as fatty liver disease, or a buildup of fat in the liver autoimmune liver disorders, which result from your immune system mistakenly attacking the cells in your liver liver cancer liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver failure, which involve scarring and damage from liver disease Doctors usually recommend liver ultrasounds for the following reasons: if you show symptoms of liver disease, such as jaundice or pain in the upper right portion of the abdomen (where the liver is located) if you have high liver enzymes on a blood test called the liver function test as a screening tool for liver conditions The purpose of a liver ultrasound is to visualize your liver and record its blood flow. This helps doctors confirm or rule out liver conditions. What should you see on an ultrasound for liver disease? Liver ultrasounds don't usually require special preparation, but your doctor may ask you not to eat or drink anything several hours before the procedure. During the scan, you'll lie still on a scanning table. An ultrasound technician will place a scanner in different spots around the upper right segment of your abdomen. The resulting images will show up on a computer screen in real time. After the ultrasound is done, a doctor will check the ultrasound images. They will look for the following signs of liver disease: liver inflammation, a sign of hepatitis a buildup of fat associated with steatotic liver disease masses or lesions, which can indicate liver cancer changes in the appearance of the liver, such as nodules, which can signify cirrhosis Is a liver ultrasound accurate? A liver ultrasound is a useful tool in identifying certain types of liver disease. It's often the first test your doctor will order if they suspect a liver condition. It's a quick, safe, painless, and relatively inexpensive test. In the past, doctors relied more heavily on liver biopsy to diagnose, stage, and grade liver disease. However, newer research indicates that new liver ultrasound technologies are able to accurately detect liver disease. What does an ultrasound cost for liver disease? On average, an abdominal liver scan can cost around $1,400. However, most health insurance providers cover this procedure. Liver ultrasound costs will vary based on: where you live whether you have medical insurance the type of ultrasound Frequently asked questions How do you diagnose fatty liver disease? A doctor can diagnose steatotic liver disease using a combination of the following tests: liver ultrasound X-ray, CT, or MRI scans of the abdomen transient elastography (also known as FibroScan), shear wave elastography, or acoustic radiation force impulse imaging, which assesses liver stiffness magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), which combines MRI with low frequency sound waves to create a visual map showing liver stiffness Can you get an ultrasound for alcohol liver disease? Long-term, excessive alcohol use can lead to a buildup of fat in the liver known as alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), or steatosis. Metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-related liver disease (MetALD), a form of alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD), refers to liver damage due to alcohol use along with other risk factors, such as obesity or diabetes. It causes liver inflammation and scarring and can eventually lead to cirrhosis. Liver ultrasound is one of the tests used to diagnose fat in the liver. Other tests may include: a complete blood count (CBC) a liver function test CT or MRI scans a liver biopsy Is there an ultrasound for liver disease in dogs? Similar to humans, abdominal ultrasounds are commonly used in dogs and cats when a vet suspects a liver condition. Symptoms of liver disease in pets can be subtle but may include: appetite issues orange urine jaundice weight loss excessive drinking or excessive urinating light colored stool Can an abdominal ultrasound check for chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance? Certain types of liver disease can increase your risk of developing liver cancer, also known as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Because of that, doctors recommend regular screening for HCC in people with cirrhosis, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C every 6 months.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Health Canada approves Abbott's i-STAT TBI test for suspected concussions
Health Canada has granted approval for Abbott's i-STAT TBI test cartridge, enabling clinicians to evaluate suspected concussions more effectively. The authorisation allows for the use of the test cartridge with whole blood, enabling clinicians to get lab-quality results in 15 minutes. Previously, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) assessment tests were authorised only for plasma or serum samples, necessitating lab processing. The approval facilitates testing in diverse healthcare settings, potentially expanding to pharmacies, clinics without radiology, and even sporting event sidelines. The i-STAT TBI test is designed to assess those who are 18 years and above with suspected mTBI (commonly referred to as concussion). It can help rule out the requirement for a head computed tomography (CT) scan and guide the further steps for individual care, using other clinical information. The authorisation also extends the test's utility to assess individuals up to 24 hours post-injury, addressing situations where individuals may delay seeking medical attention. Abbott's market offerings for TBI testing already include the i-STAT TBI Plasma test and the ARCHITECT and Alinity i lab tests for serum and plasma. To be used with the i-STAT Alinity System, the i-STAT TBI test cartridge needs only a small blood sample. It measures two brain-specific biomarkers, ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), released into the bloodstream after brain injury. If levels of these biomarkers are below a certain threshold, a serious injury is unlikely, and a CT scan may be avoided. Abbott diagnostics business senior medical director Beth McQuiston said: "We're proud of this important step forward in advancing the standard of care for concussions. 'With this approval, right from the patient's bedside, clinicians are now able to order a rapid blood test that can provide powerful objective information, quickly. This dramatically changes the efficiency in the emergency room and helps optimise patient care." In April 2025, the company reported new data from its Volt CE Mark Study, indicating that individuals treated with pulsed field ablation (PFA) therapy using the Volt PFA System for atrial fibrillation (AFib) showed efficacy and safety up to 12 months. "Health Canada approves Abbott's i-STAT TBI test for suspected concussions" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Why WASN'T Joe Biden tested for prostate cancer after age of 70? Medical experts cast doubt on official explanation after former President is given devastating diagnosis
Medical experts have questioned claims that failure to test Joe Biden for prostate cancer was a routine omission. Last week, the ex-president's office said the 82-year-old, who left office in January, was diagnosed with an 'aggressive' form of prostate cancer that spread to his bones. According to Biden's aides, doctors stopped testing his prostate-specific antigens in 2014, despite US guidelines that suggest all men over 70 require routine testing. Since the announcement of his diagnosis, several doctors have questioned how the vicious disease was not detected earlier in the former US president - who is supposed to have had access to some of the best medical care available. 'To take a blood test from a man over 50 and not do a PSA is practically an assault. It is the most male-specific health-related blood test you can do,' a senior surgeon told The Telegraph. 'If you get an abnormal result, then you do a scan (I imagine the White House has an MRI scanner) and then after that you do a biopsy. It is not as if we throw drugs at anyone with a high PSA, but I simply cannot envision a world where nobody at the White House ever ticked yes to a PSA test for him.' And many doctors have rejected the idea that Biden stopped getting testing altogether, raising questions of whether medical professionals deliberately failed to screen the former president. The announcement last week led to an outpouring support for the former commander-in-chief, though also launched conspiracy theories about how long he had cancer. But the former president had to shut down conspiracies he was diagnosed with prostate cancer before last week. 'Prior to Friday, President Biden had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer,' a spokesperson for Biden insisted on Tuesday. The statement came after President Donald Trump repeated on Monday conspiracies that Biden knew he had cancer for a long time – and that hiding the diagnosis was part of his team's cover-up of his health decline while in office. 'I'm surprised that it wasn't, you know, the public wasn't notified a long time ago because to get to stage nine, that's a long time,' Trump said. Questions about the former president's health have swirled for years. But after Biden bombed his late June debate against Trump, questions about his fitness for office got even louder. Then-White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre initially bungled a response when asked why a Parkinson's disease expert had visited the White House multiple times. Additionally, Biden's White House physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, never took questions from the press, unlike Trump's original White House physician, Dr. Ronny Jackson, now a MAGA-aligned Republican representing Texas in Congress. Trump's second White House doctor, Dr. Sean Conley, addressed the press when Trump contracted COVID-19 just weeks before the 2020 election. Biden's history of covering up health problems has sparked a media storm in the US, with many Democrats believing that Trump's 2024 victory was partly the result of Biden's lack of transparency surrounding his health and cognitive decline. The news of his cancer diagnosis also comes at the same time that Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up and his Disastrous Choice to Run Again was released. The book, written by journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, argued that Biden's 'physical deterioration - most apparent in his halting walk - had become so severe that there were internal discussions about putting the president in a wheelchair, but they couldn't do so until after the election.'
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Work begins on new medical testing centre in Cornwall
Work has started on the construction of a new medical testing centre in community diagnostic centre on the Camborne Redruth Community Hospital site will offer tests such as X-rays, MRI and CT scans, blood tests, heart checks and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly chief nursing officer Susan Bracefield said the centre would help deliver services closer to people's said the site, which is due to open later in the year, was expected to be used by about 75,000 patients. Ms Bracefield said more than 96,000 tests were carried out at community diagnostic centres in Bodmin and Penzance, "giving quicker access to important scans and tests"."This new centre at Redruth will mean even more patients can benefit from tests closer to home and a shorter wait for diagnosis and perhaps treatment," she said.
