Lab Testing Specialist

Testing your child’s blood, urine, or other samples can provide accurate information about their health. Fiona Carroll, MD, of Child & Adolescent Health Center in Lathrup Village, Michigan, uses lab testing to help with diagnosis, screening, and treatment monitoring. To find out how your child’s health could benefit from lab testing, call Child & Adolescent Health Center today or book an appointment online.

What is lab testing?

Lab testing analyzes fluid and tissue samples from your child’s body. It’s a vital tool for diagnosing symptoms and monitoring health conditions.

Blood is the most common substance Child & Adolescent Health Center uses for lab testing. Others include:

• Urine
• Stool
• Discharge fluids
• Saliva
• Phlegm
• Cell swabs

Another kind of lab test is a biopsy, where your provider extracts a tiny sample of skin or tissue for analysis.

The highly skilled lab technicians test these samples according to your pediatrician’s instructions.

When might my child need a lab test?

Lab testing might be beneficial for:

Sick visits and urgent care

If your child has symptoms of an infection or other health problem, lab testing can often determine the cause. For instance, if your child has a sore throat, the lab can test for a bacterial infection like strep throat or tonsillitis.

If your child has flu-like symptoms, lab testing can determine which flu strain is involved or whether your child has a different condition, like COVID-19. Child & Adolescent Health Center offers rapid strep throat and COVID-19 testing.

Screening

Screening involves checking for diseases and other medical problems. Your pediatrician might want to look for issues like nutrient deficiencies, for example, checking the child’s hemoglobin levels to see if they have anemia (a lack of iron). 

Screening can also identify toxins such as lead that can cause long-term health problems.

Treatment monitoring

If your child is having treatment for a health condition, lab tests can see how well their therapy is working. Your pediatrician can then adjust treatments accordingly for optimal effect.

Are lab tests painful?

Parents often worry that undergoing lab testing is going to be painful or distressing for their child. Fortunately, most tests are painless or cause minimal discomfort that’s over in seconds.

For example, a swab of the child’s nasal passages for COVID-19 testing might feel slightly strange and tickly, but no more than that.

Many children worry about needles and injections, so the idea of a blood draw might upset them. The needle entering a vein does cause a moment of sharp discomfort, so Child & Adolescent Health Center offers an anesthetic cream that numbs the area before the blood draw.

If you’d like to know more about how lab testing benefits your child’s health care, call Child & Adolescent Health Center today or book an appointment online.