Testing Guides
Plain-language LabTestDirectory guides to frequently ordered panels.
Allergy Panel Testing: What the Tests Measure and How to Read Results
Learn what an allergy panel is, which allergens it can test for, how IgE blood testing and skin testing differ, and how to interpret results with your clinician.
Read guideAutoimmune and ANA Testing: A Complete Guide to Antinuclear Antibody Tests
Learn how ANA testing fits into autoimmune disease evaluation, what a positive or negative result means, and which follow-up tests doctors may order.
Read guideBlood Test Basics: What Lab Results Mean and How to Read Them
Learn what a blood test is, what it can find, how to read lab results, and what common markers like BUN mean.
Read guideCBC and Anemia: How a Complete Blood Count Helps Evaluate Low Hemoglobin
Learn how a complete blood count (CBC) is used to evaluate anemia, including red blood cell indices such as MCV, MCH, MCHC, and RDW, and what these results can mean.
Read guideCardiac Markers: A Guide to Heart Blood Tests
Learn what cardiac markers are, which blood tests detect heart muscle injury, how results are interpreted, and when testing is used in clinical care.
Read guideDrug Testing: How Laboratory Screens and Confirmatory Tests Work
Learn how laboratory drug testing works, including immunoassay screens, confirmatory mass spectrometry, specimen types, detection windows, and result interpretation.
Read guideGlucose and A1C Testing: What These Blood Tests Measure
Learn how glucose and A1C tests differ, what each measures, why they are often ordered together, and how to interpret common reference ranges.
Read guideHormone Panel Testing: What It Measures and How to Interpret Results
Learn what a hormone panel tests, which hormones are commonly included, how to prepare, and how to interpret results from authoritative health sources.
Read guideInflammation Lab Testing Guide: ESR and Related Tests
Learn how laboratory tests are used to evaluate inflammation, including the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), what it measures, and how clinicians interpret results.
Read guideIron and Anemia: How Lab Tests Help Identify and Monitor Iron-Related Anemia
Learn how iron relates to anemia, which lab tests are used to evaluate iron status, and how results are interpreted and monitored over time.
Read guideKidney Function Laboratory Testing: A Guide to BUN, Creatinine, and eGFR
Learn how laboratory tests assess kidney function, including BUN, creatinine, and eGFR, what the results mean, and when testing may be appropriate.
Read guideLipid Panel: What to Expect from Cholesterol and Triglyceride Testing
A lipid panel measures cholesterol and triglycerides to assess cardiovascular risk. Learn what each component means, how to prepare, and how results are interpreted.
Read guideLiver Function Tests: A Complete Guide to ALT, AST, Bilirubin, and More
Learn how liver function tests work, what ALT, AST, ALP, bilirubin, and albumin measure, and how to interpret results with guidance from LabTestDirectory.
Read guideMetabolic Panel Tests: What They Measure and How to Read Results
A metabolic panel is a routine blood test that measures electrolytes, blood sugar, kidney function, and liver enzymes. Learn what basic and comprehensive panels include and how results are interpreted.
Read guideSTD Panel Testing: What It Screens For and How to Prepare
An evergreen guide to STD panel testing, covering which infections are commonly included, how samples are collected, when testing is recommended, and how to interpret results.
Read guideThyroid Panel: What the Tests Measure and How to Read Results
A factual guide to thyroid panel testing, including which hormones and antibodies are measured, why a panel is ordered, how results are interpreted, and what can affect accuracy.
Read guideTumor Markers: What Lab Tests Can and Cannot Tell You
Learn what tumor markers are, how tumor marker blood tests are used in cancer care, their limitations, and what results can and cannot tell you.
Read guideVitamin Panel Testing: What a Vitamin Panel Measures and When It Is Used
A vitamin panel is a group of blood tests that measure levels of specific vitamins. Learn what a vitamin panel includes, why it is ordered, how results are interpreted, and what to discuss with a clinician.
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Order TestsReviewed by the LabTestDirectory Editorial Team
The LabTestDirectory editorial team reviews laboratory panels against published reference material before publication.