Emergency Blood Tests on the Central Coast
Doctors at Dignity Health Central Coast often order tests to find out what may have caused your emergency. Blood tests during your emergency care provide our doctors with valuable information, so they can diagnose your condition.
Come to one of our hospitals for trusted emergency care, including blood tests, throughout the Central Coast of California.
Types of Emergency Blood Tests at Dignity Health Central Coast
When you visit one of our hospitals for emergency care, your doctor can order a group of different blood tests, called blood panels.
The blood test results provide rapid information so your doctor can diagnose and best manage your medical emergencies, such as a heart attack.
Lab tests fall under the following general categories:
- Blood bank tests allow our doctors to determine the type of blood compatible for transfusion.
- Clinical chemistry tests give our doctors information about substances in your blood that may be a sign of disease or organ dysfunction. These blood tests can determine your body’s immune activity and whether you are having a heart attack or are in congestive heart failure.
- Drug levels show our doctors the amount of a drug in your blood. Examples include digoxin (slows heart rate to treat atrial fibrillation), ethanol (alcohol), and theophylline (treats respiratory diseases, COPD).
- Hematology tests look at the amount of blood and plasma components and how they function. Examples include a CBC (complete blood count) and tests for blood clotting ability.
- Microbiology tests identify bacteria, fungi, or parasites in your blood.
The information found in your blood tests is invaluable to our doctors for emergency care. With blood test results, and information from other tests, your doctor can determine a cause and the best treatment.
Dignity Health provides high-quality emergency care, including emergency blood tests, throughout the Central Coast of California.