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Laboratory

The Wabash General Hospital Laboratory is a full-service facility that provides a vast array of testing services to meet the health care needs of our community. Highly skilled lab specialists use advanced technology to get fast, accurate results to your physician. We are proud to be fully accredited and certified by the College of American Pathologist (CAP) and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA).

Please note: The laboratory cannot interpret test results or release them to patients. Results are sent to directly to the provider who ordered the test and can be obtained by contacting that provider.

Tests We Offer

Your health care provider may order lab tests as part of your normal wellness visit to monitor a disease or help diagnose an illness. They will explain the reason or purpose for the lab work as well as any specific instructions to follow.

While there are too many tests to name individually, these are the most commonly ordered lab tests:

  • Antinuclear antibody (ANA): Looks for evidence of autoimmune diseases such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. Sample collection involves drawing blood.
  • Complete blood count (CBC): Evaluates cells that circulate in the blood. A CBC screens for, diagnoses, or monitors a variety of diseases and conditions that affect blood cells, such as anemia, infection, inflammation, bleeding disorder or cancer. Sample collection involves drawing blood.
  • Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP): Measures 14 chemicals in the blood including sugar/glucose level, cholesterol, electrolyte and fluid balance, kidney function, and liver function. Sample collection involves drawing blood.
  • COVID antibody: Detects antibodies produced by the body’s immune system in response to SARS-Cov-2 from a blood sample. COVID-19 serology tests can determine a prior infection. However, antibody tests are not the preferred tests to diagnose current infections. Antibodies normally show up one to two weeks after first symptoms.
  • COVID PCR (SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction): A respiratory test that detects the virus’ RNA. The PCR test is the “gold standard” test for diagnosing an active COVID-19 infection due to its reliability and accuracy.
  • COVID rapid antigen: Detects the viral proteins of SARS-CoV-2 through respiratory samples to determine an active infection. Antigen tests can provide results in minutes and involve a simpler process. However, they are not as sensitive as PCR tests; therefore, negative results do not rule out infection.
  • Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR): Measures the rate at which red blood cells settle at the bottom of a test tube over a period of one hour. The purpose is to identify inflammation (swelling). Sample collection involves drawing blood.
  • Platelet count (can be a single test or part of a CBC): Determines the number of platelets in a sample of blood. Platelets are tiny parts of cells essential for normal blood clotting. This test is used to diagnose or monitor a bleeding disorder or bone marrow disease. Sample collection involves drawing blood.
  • Urinalysis: A test of your urine. It detects and manages a wide range of conditions, such as urinary tract infections, kidney disease and diabetes. A urinalysis involves checking the appearance, concentration, and content of urine. Sample collection involves collecting one to two ounces of urine in a clean container.

Laboratory Expectations

All lab tests must have a signed order from a healthcare provider which should include a diagnosis (ICD-10 code). If your provider called or faxed in their order, we will keep it on file until you arrive. Certain tests require fasting, so please verify with your provider if you must fast before having a lab test. You should also ask your provider if you should skip your medication the day you have laboratory testing (do not change your routine without asking for instructions from your provider first).

Medicare patients may be asked to sign a waiver accepting their financial responsibility should the provided diagnosis not cover the tests being ordered. Some insurance companies require the use of specific laboratories, so please verify whether Wabash General Hospital Laboratory will be covered at the in-network level.

If you have any questions about our laboratory or a specific test, please call us at (618) 263-6317.

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