Medical Assistants and Lab Tests
Medical Assistants and Lab Tests
Medical Assistants and Lab Tests
Working as a medical assistant usually means that your day-to-day tasks are a mix of administrative and clinical work. On the clinical side, you might be asked to help perform lab tests. Here are five of the most common lab tests that medical assistants might help administer in modern healthcare facilities.
Medical Assistant Jobs: 5 Common Medical Tests
Electrocardiogram
An electrocardiogram (often abbreviated ECG or EKG) is a test that records the electrical signals in a patient’s heart. It’s used to diagnose irregular heartbeats and to determine the cause if a patient is reporting symptoms like chest pain, fatigue, or shortness of breath. It can also be used to find out how well heart disease treatments are working.
Blood count tests
Blood count tests help medical professionals assess a patient’s overall health and diagnose certain health problems by measuring the number of different types of cells in the patient’s blood. For example, a high white blood cell count can be a sign of an infection. A blood count test is done by having a special computer analyze a sample of the patient’s blood.
Blood glucose tests
A blood glucose test is used to find out the levels of glucose (sugar) in a patient’s blood. The main purpose of this test is to check for diabetes or prediabetes. A blood glucose test is performed using a very small sample of the patient’s blood drawn from their finger with a lancet and a device called a glucometer.
Urinalysis
Urinalysis refers to various tests where a sample of a patient’s urine is analyzed. This is done using a microscope or plastic dipsticks that change color when they come in contact with certain substances within the urine. Urinalysis can detect a wide range of conditions from diabetes to high blood pressure and liver problems.
Strep throat
Strep throat is an infection caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus, resulting in severe inflammation and soreness of the throat. It can also cause symptoms like fever, headache, abdominal pain, and nausea. A strep throat test is performed by wiping the back of the throat with a long cotton swab and then checking the swab for the presence of the Streptococcus bacteria.
Medical Assistant Training: The Path to a Job in the Healthcare Industry
The healthcare industry is a growing job sector, and factors like an aging population mean there’s a good chance that expansion will continue for the foreseeable future. Becoming a medical assistant offers one of the most accessible paths to employment in the healthcare industry, without the need for lengthy and expensive schooling.
A medical assistant program like the one offered here at PCI Health Training Center helps to prepare students for both the administrative and clinical dimensions of the job. PCI’s program is offered in a hybrid format that allows you to study on your time, with limited on-campus commitment. As the capstone to your training, you’ll complete a 200-hour externship in a real medical facility. The whole program can be completed in as little as nine months.
Join the thousands of students who have developed career skills for stable and rewarding jobs in healthcare at PCI. Póngase en contacto con nosotros to learn more about enrolling in our hybrid Medical Assistant training program!
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