Lab results - looking for opinions [PLEASE READ 1ST POST]

About a month ago, I ended up in the ER because my back was killing me. It actually happened three months ago too, but they just sent me home after saying it was scoliosis. This time around, they found a tiny kidney stone. My blood work showed an elevated CRP, so I finished a course of antibiotics, but when I got tested again, my CRP is still high at 24. I went back to the lab yesterday for the third time—even though my urine culture came back totally fine—and that CRP level is still sitting at 24. I guess I'm wondering if anyone knows what might be going on or what my next move should be? Thanks.

Has anyone here dealt with those medical testing outfits from Oxyness over in Osijek? Word on the street is they’re a total scam. My parents got a call from them, and now people are saying they just make up the results and don't actually run any real tests... anyone know if this is legit?

hey there,

can someone give me a hand with reading these lab results?

when a bacteria test says "isolated," what does that actually mean versus when it says "not isolated"?

also, what’s the deal with the "S" in the column for a bacterium that WAS isolated, compared to the ones that don't have any special notes about being isolated?

and why on earth do they write certain things in bold in the notes section with a bunch of exclamation points just to say something WASN'T isolated?

Isolated or detected - positive result
Not isolated - negative result

S - Summamed??

Usually at the labs I go toS means the bacteria is sensitive to the antibiotic (antibiotic sensitivity/susceptibility)

Megan Jones27 said:If it was isolated or found - that's a positive result.
If it wasn't isolated - that's a negative result.

S - Summamed??

S indicates that the bacteria is sensitive to a specific antibiotic (meaning the drug works and actually kills the bacteria). R means it isn't.

I wanted to check in and share an update on how my father's gastroscopy and colonoscopy procedures went...

Here are the gastroscopy results:
The esophageal mucosa appears normal, as does the fundus area. However, the mucosa in the corpus and antrum looks irregular and shows diffuse hyperemia. Samples were taken for pathology and to test for H. pylori. The pylorus is normal and patent, and the bulb shows a healthy mucosal appearance. We should have the final findings within ten days...

And here are the colonoscopy results:
A total colonoscopy including terminal ileoscopy was performed. The entire colon and terminal ileum were examined, and the mucosal findings were completely normal...

So, what comes next? If everything looks okay there, why was the fecal occult blood test positive, and why is his iron level so low?☕ Where should we focus our investigation now...

My eye is all red—my doctor took a swab, and this is what the report says

Sample, test: CONJUNCTIVAL SWAB - bacteriological
right eye swab
MICROBIOLOGICAL TEST RESULTS: GRAM + COCCI

What does that actually mean? I didn't see the results in person; I just logged into my patient portal and saw this entry from Sept 5th, but my eye is still irritated and red... On the left eye, it says the sample was sterile. Does this mean there's an infection, or am I misreading this?

Can anyone help me out?

Does "gram positive" mean they found gram-positive bacteria, like strep? I'll wait for the doctors to confirm it for sure..

I notice plenty of questions have been posted here, yet very few answers. Even though there's a significant backlog, I’ll address some unanswered queries now, though I suspect most posters have likely found their own conclusions by now.

mellowmoose11 said:Could someone please explain the EMG results a bit better and what they might indicate?

The findings suggest nerve compression. This might partially account for symptoms like pain and tingling, but perhaps not at the intensity you're describing. Further investigation is necessary to clarify these issues—especially considering the point our esteemed colleague already made: your age doesn't align with such pronounced degenerative changes typical of an elderly patient. You aren't elderly.

steeleagle152 said:Yesterday was my third trip to the lab (I also did a microbiology urine test in the meantime and everything looks fine), but my CRP is still at 24. Can anyone tell me what this could be or what my next steps should be?

It depends on where your initial CRP level was. If it started very high, it takes time to settle back to baseline. There isn't much point in repeating the CRP test over too short an interval, as it takes several days to see any meaningful shift. If the CRP fails to return to normal levels, further testing would be required to rule out a lingering, hidden site of infection.

frozenheron53 said:So what now? Why was the fecal occult blood test positive and why is my iron low?☕ Where do I go from here?

Given the low iron levels combined with a positive stool bleeding test—and since both colonoscopy and endoscopy failed to pinpoint the source—you need to consult a gastroenterologist. They will likely want to explore other diagnostic options to search the rest of the digestive tract (primarily the small intestine) to find the potential source of the bleeding.

wearyhawk7 said:My eye is red. My doctor took a swab and this is what the report says:

Sample, testing: CONJUNCTIVAL SWAB - bacteriological
right eye swab
MICROBIOLOGICAL TEST RESULT: GRAM + COCCI

What does this actually mean?

It means bacteria were found. Most likely, they'll identify one of the following: Staphylococcus aureus, pneumococcus, or streptococcus. All three are common culprits in conjunctivitis and fall under the category of Gram-positive cocci (spherical bacteria).

Maria Fisher46 said:It probably depends on what the initial CRP was. If it started out high, I guess it might take some time to fully settle back into the normal range. I don't really see much point in repeating the CRP test too soon since it takes a few days to see any meaningful change anyway. If the CRP still doesn't drop down to normal levels, then maybe further testing would be needed to rule out a possible lingering, hidden source of infection.

My CRP has just been hovering around 25 this whole time. It stayed pretty much the same both before and after the antibiotics. It's been like that for two months now, I guess.

Hi Nicholas Myers,

I was wondering if you could tell me if I should be worried. For about a year now, I've been getting regular CBC tests done because of an iron deficiency. So far, my other related values haven't been concerning. However, on this week's results, my platelets were 153 (range: 158-424). On its own, that wouldn't bother me too much (even though it's below the minimum), but they have dropped quite drastically since my last check in August—when platelets were 200. Back in March and May, they were 170, and in late December 2015, they were 207, while at the end of November 2015, they were 276.

Is it normal for them to drop this much, or rather, to be in a constant decline?

Here are some other results that might be useful for context; if you need more from my CBC (which is currently within range), I'll happily provide them.

PT/APTV - 23 (22-28)
PT/APTV ratio - 0.9 (0.8-1.2)
fibrinogen - 3.4 (1.8-3.5)

RDW - 15.7 (9 - 15)

Sodium (141, range: 137-146) and Potassium 4.7 (range: 3.9-5.1) are both within the reference range.

Gamma-glutamyl transferase 8 (9-35)

I've done the CBC and other tests, and everything else is within the normal limits.

All my thyroid hormones and antibodies are fine—monitored over several months—as is my thyroid ultrasound. Androsteroid is elevated.

Actually, I mainly wanted to ask for your opinion regarding the platelets. It's not so much that they are below the threshold that worries me, but rather that they've decreased so significantly over the past year (essentially a steady downward trend when looking at the history).

Also, if you have any suggestions on what else I should get checked, I’m all ears. When my CBC was particularly bad, my doctor just told me to eat a more varied diet and didn't refer me for further testing. I ended up doing some of the follow-ups on my own, though I did go back to request certain labs (but again, she didn't specifically order them for me).

I just got my abdominal ultrasound results back: The liver is normal in size and shape and appears normoechogenic, though it feels somewhat Inhomogeneous; there are no visible focal lesions and no dilation in the intrahepatic or extrahepatic bile ducts. There is a parenchymal cyst measuring 9.4 mm in segment 3 (I’ve actually had this one for 4 years now/
My gallbladder was surgically removed
Because of some bloating, the pancreas was partially obscured in the head and body region. In the parts that were visible, the contours are regular, the parenchyma is homogeneous, and it's clearly demarcated from the surrounding tissue
The spleen is normal in size and homogeneous
Both kidneys are normal in size and shape, with preserved parenchyma and no dilation of the system. There is a visible cortical cyst on the left kidney measuring 10 mm /I also had a similar cyst a few years ago, but that one was on the right kidney and it's gone now/
The abdominal aorta appears to have normal calibration in the visualized section
No pathologically enlarged lymph nodes were detected
No abnormal fluid was found in the abdomen
It’s this "inhomogeneous" part that’s really eating at me... is it possible my liver just looks fatty because I gorged on pastries and greasy food the day before the scan? My gastroenterologist didn't seem too concerned about it, but I asked him for a referral for a KKS and full blood work anyway. He gave me the slip, but once I got home, I noticed they included tests for three different immunoglobulins among the other things, and that absolutely spooked me. I’ve never had those checked before, and now I’m honestly tempted to skip the blood draw altogether—what if they come back high? I should mention, I am a total hypochondriac and I get terrified easily. I've actually been through a whole battery of tests lately—an abdominal MRI which was fine, lung imaging, a colonoscopy, and I get ultrasounds every six months along with regular blood work, all of which come back normal... yet these immunoglobulins are still haunting me. I’d love nothing more than to just cross them off the referral and pretend they don't exist
To be honest, I’m terrified of what the results might show

Hi there. Does this look normal to you? Are the LH and FSH levels a bit too low?

(S) Estradiol 111 pmol/L (40 - 162)
(S) LH 1.6 lU/L (0.6 - 12.1)
(S) FSH 1.4 lU/L (1 - 12)
(S) Prolactin 6.9 µg/L (3.5 - 19.4)
(S) Total testosterone 18.9 nmol/L (8.3 - 30.2)
(S) Free testosterone 456.3 pmol/L (174 - 729)
(S) Free testosterone percentage 2.4% (1.0 - 2.7)
(S) SHBG 37 nmol/L (15 - 100)

Thanks.

I also wanted to add the results from the end of my last page here.
Here are the values:

Antithrombin activity 92.6% (75.0 - 125.0)
FVIII 2.04 kIU/L (0.50 - 1.49)
FIX 1.13 kIU/L (0.55 - 1.63)
FXI 0.70 kIU/L (0.67 - 1.27)
VWF activity 144.4% (49.5 - 187.0)

Question regarding my mother's lab results.
So, she’s been dealing with this cough for three months now, and during these coughing fits, she starts choking and feels like she can't catch her breath.
On top of that, she started having back pain—down near the kidney area—which then spread to her hips and glutes.
Because of those pains, she actually went in twice to get injections in the hip, but nothing seemed to help.

She is currently taking an antibiotic, CEFALIN 500 mg—two tablets every 12 hours.

Regarding her blood work, almost everything looks normal except for:
erythrocyte sedimentation 31 (4-24)
erythrocytes 3.83
GGT 7 (9-35)
extremely high CRP 22.80 (0-5)

The blood in her urine is worrying, along with that elevated CRP and the fact that the pain is making it hard for her to walk. She actually went to the orthopedic department at the hospital as an emergency case today so they could send her for whatever imaging they deem necessary.

What do you all think? Is this just some mild inflammation (if so, I assume we won't know where it's located without imaging), or could it be something more serious??

Hey there,

Can someone help me make sense of these blood clotting results?
PV ( ratio ) 0.99 ref.interval. greater than 0.70 )
PV INR 1 L Therapeutic range 2.00-3.5
PV ratio 0.97 ref. interval up to 1.12

Thanks

I ordered these tests because I've been noticing bruises popping up on my legs.

swiftgull37 said:Dear Nicholas Myers,

I was wondering if I should be concerned. For about a year now, I've been doing regular CBC tests due to iron deficiency. So far, everything else related to that hasn't been worrying. However, in this week's results, my platelets are 153 (range 158-424). On its own, that wouldn't bother me—even though it's below the minimum—except that they have dropped drastically from my last result in August, where platelets were 200. In March and May, they were 170, and back in late December 2015, they were 207, while in late November 2015, they were 276.

Is it normal for them to drop this much, or rather, to be in a constant decline?

Ma'am,

Thrombocytopenia is defined as a platelet count below 150x10*9/L, so strictly speaking, you don't have low platelets yet.

On the other hand, as you mentioned, you have iron-deficiency anemia. Platelet counts and erythrocyte counts can be linked. Typically, iron-deficiency anemia is associated with an increased platelet count, or thrombocytosis, though cases with low platelets have been described, albeit extremely rarely.

Have you identified the cause of the anemia? Heavy menstrual bleeding? GI bleeding?

Have you had a peripheral blood smear done?

Furthermore, are you experiencing any symptoms?

Elevated Factor VIII levels can appear during inflammation, infection, pregnancy, or when taking oral contraceptives, but they can also be congenital, occurring without a specific underlying cause.

Aside from a potential link to the anemia (the cause of which you haven't specified), the drop in platelets could be entirely independent of your anemia—a separate issue altogether.

The most common cause of mild, isolated thrombocytopenia in adults is immune thrombocytopenia. Usually, in these instances, routine follow-ups include a peripheral blood smear and testing for HIV and hepatitis C, with other tests performed as indicated.

Since it isn't clear from your inquiry what symptoms you are having or what is driving the iron-deficiency anemia, I cannot say for certain whether you need further diagnostic workup or if simply monitoring the platelet count—perhaps at monthly intervals—would suffice.

Sophia Brooks50 said:The inhomogeneous part is bothering me... is it possible my liver looks fatty because I ate a bunch of pastries and greasy food the day before the UTZ?

An inhomogeneous—or uneven—liver structure on an ultrasound can be subjective, depending on the technician's perspective, or it could indicate changes like fatty liver or inflammation.

If we're talking about fatty liver, it wouldn't be caused by what you ate just one day prior to the scan. That's typically a long-term process; it doesn't happen in a 24-hour window.

Since the gastroenterologist performing the abdominal ultrasound didn't seem overly concerned, this finding regarding the inhomogeneous structure probably isn't something you need to worry about right now.

As for the immunoglobulin, I don't have much to add—you requested the tests, you got the results, so now you simply follow through with them.

Noah Cook13 said:Hi. Is this lab report looking normal?

It’s plain to see. The issues you've described in other threads aren't necessarily just about low testosterone. You have to look at the broader hormonal picture—everything from thyroid function to the adrenal glands plays a role here.

Betty Murphy50 said:What’s your take on this? Are we looking at just some mild inflammation—which, if so, I assume you can't pinpoint the location without imaging—or could this be something more serious?

Based on what you've shared, your mother is dealing with serious symptoms. Even if her blood work shows only minor deviations for now, those numbers don't rule out the possibility that there's a significant underlying illness—or perhaps several—brewing beneath the surface. She definitely needs more thorough testing to get a clear picture.

Chloe Garcia10 said:Good day.

Can someone help me make sense of these lab coagulation results?

Clean results!