A medical test is any kind of diagnostic procedure performed for health reasons. For example:
- to diagnose diseases
- to measure the progress or recovery from disease
- to confirm that a person is free from disease
Some medical tests are parts of a simple physical examination which require only simple tools in the hands of a skilled practitioner, and can be performed in an office environment. Some other tests require elaborate equipment or the use of a sterile operating theatre environment.
Some tests require samples of tissue or body fluids to be sent off to a pathology lab for further analysis. Some simple chemical tests, such as urine pH, can be measured directly in the doctor's office.
Most medical tests are conducted on the living; however, some of these tests can also be carried out on a dead person as part of an autopsy.
Medical tests can be classified into three categories:
Types of medical tests include:
Consulting room tests:
More invasive examinations requiring sterile procedures:
Requiring laboratory analysis:
Requiring microscopy
Requiring elaborate medical equipment: