Here is a quick mnemonic ” LAB TESt “ to remember about the Lab Tests In A Patient With Fever
This can be valuable for patients as well as medical doctors, nurses & students doing their clinical rounds. You can also find it very useful for med exams like USMLE, NEET PG, FMGE, NExT & NCLEX exams
When a patient has a fever, it indicates that their body is fighting an infection or inflammation. In order to determine the cause of the fever and the appropriate treatment, lab tests may be necessary.
Lab Tests For A Patient With Fever : How To Remember Easily ?
L – Low-grade fevers or suspected occult disease benefit from measuring C-reactive protein (CRP) level and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, as they are valuable markers of inflammatory processes.
A – A complete blood count should be included in the workup, and a differential count should be performed to identify juvenile or band forms, toxic granulations, and Döhle bodies, which suggest bacterial infection.
B – Blood count may reveal neutropenia in viral infections.
T – The measurement of circulating cytokines such as IL-1 and TNF is often not helpful in patients with fever since their levels in the circulation can be below the detection limit or do not coincide with fever.
E – Elevation of CRP levels is induced by IL-6, which can be measured and is useful during febrile disease.
S – The most valuable measurements for detecting occult disease in patients with low-grade fevers or suspected occult disease are the C-reactive protein (CRP) level and erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
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Mnemonic : LAB TESt
