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

I've gotta take my kid in for some bloodwork to check their ESR levels. Does the little one need to be fasting for this?

Adam Wilson3 said:I have to take my kid in for bloodwork to check their sedimentation rate (ESR). Do they need to fast?

No.

Thanks
👍

Does anyone know where else in the States, besides at Ribs, I can get a double-negative T-lymphocyte test done?

Hi there, I was wondering if anyone here might know how many irregularities on my EKG could potentially be linked to anemia.

I'm 41 years old. I've been dealing with anemia for about three years now, maybe even longer, though I only started taking Pfizer two months ago. I think I initially hoped just changing my diet would do the trick, and well, a nurse gave me some wrong info over the phone about a year ago, suggesting my levels weren't that bad. But then, when I saw my doctor two months ago, she told me my iron was already down to just 3 micromoles back then.

On top of that, my hemoglobin is low, along with my hematocrit, MCV, MCH, and MCHC, while my RDW is elevated—which I assume is all due to the anemia. Most of these deviations are roughly 10% away from the normal range. My thyroid is fine, and I don't have any allergies. I’m actually scheduled for surgery to remove a uterine polyp, which I suspect might be connected to the anemia. My cholesterol is high at 7.3, with an LDL of 4.3, though my triglycerides are sitting at 0.9.

As for the EKG, it shows that leads I and III don't have any downward (S) deviations, and V4 only has a very minimal upward (R) shift, while the R and S waves for aVL are so small they seem almost negligible. Everything else looks okay to me when I compare it to the standard diagrams.

It also lists the following:
Vent rate 70 (which I guess should be normal)
PR int. 200 (right at the upper limit of normal)
QRS dur. 82 ms (seems fine too, I suppose)

But I couldn't really find the normal ranges for these specific values:
QT/QTC int. 394/417 ms
P/QRS/T axis 53/67/33
RV5/SV1 amp 1.605/1.015 mV
RV5+SV1 amp 2.620 mV
Sinus rhythm 1100.

And then it says (I think I can translate this part):
3114, cannot rule out anterior myocardial infarction
9150 abnormal ECG

I've been reading online that anemia can definitely impact the heart; I saw some scientific papers mentioning it, but I know the internet isn't everything, so I thought maybe someone here might have some experience with this. Since I'm still waiting for my appointment with the anesthesiologist, I was hoping to get a little more clarity before then. It feels a bit premature to me to think I might actually have blocked arteries.

Thanks 🙂

nimblepuma10 said:Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows how many irregularities in my EKG results could actually be linked to anemia.

I’m 41. I’ve been dealing with anemia for about three years now, though I only started taking Pfizer two months ago. I initially hoped just changing my diet would fix things, and honestly, a nurse gave me some bad info over the phone a year ago, telling me my levels weren't that bad. Then, two months ago, my doctor finally told me my iron was down to a measly 3 micromoles.

On top of that, my hemoglobin is low, along with my hematocrit, MCV, MCH, and MCHC. My RDW is elevated, which all points back to the anemia. Most of these deviations are within about 10% of the normal range. My thyroid is fine, and I don't have any allergies. I need surgery for a uterine polyp, which likely has something to do with the anemia. My cholesterol is high—7.3 total, with 4.3 LDL—but my triglycerides are sitting at 0.9.

The EKG shows that leads I and III don't have downward (S) deviations, and V4 only has a minimal upward (R) deviation. For aVL, both the R and S waves are so tiny they’re almost negligible. Everything else looks okay compared to the standard diagrams I've seen.

It also lists the following:
Vent rate 70 (should be normal)
PR int. 200 (right on the upper limit of normal)
QRS dur. 82 ms (seems fine too)

But I couldn't find the normal ranges for these:
QT/QTC int. 394/417 ms
P/QRS/T axis 53/67/33
RV5/SV1 amp 1.605/1.015 mV
RV5+SV1 amp 2.620 mV
Sinus rhythm 1100.

And then it says (which I know how to translate):
3114, cannot rule out anterior myocardial infarction
9150 abnormal ECG

I’ve been reading online that anemia can definitely impact the heart. I saw scientific articles, but the internet is the internet, so I figured maybe someone here has some experience. Since I'm still waiting for my appointment with the anesthesiologist, I was hoping to get some clarity sooner. It feels a bit premature to think I'm facing actual arterial blockages.

Thanks 🙂

A fibroid can absolutely cause anemia, especially if you're dealing with heavy periods or irregular bleeding. Usually, doctors will run blood cultures, an abdominal ultrasound, and a full OBGYN workup to be sure. Don't take those automated EKG interpretations too seriously; they're notoriously prone to errors. Regarding the heart and anemia, significant anemia often presents as tachycardia. You didn't mention your reticulocyte count, iron, TIBC, or ferritin levels.

As for the high cholesterol, if your numbers stay above 7 mmol/L even after sticking to a strict diet for three months, a statin might be put into consideration.

Five-year-old:
White blood cell count is at 18, ESR is sitting at 40—kid doesn't even have a fever.

Is this just some random infection hanging around, or what?

I have just one quick question for you all

Could someone please clarify what exactly constitutes an initial diagnosis versus a discharge diagnosis, and what should one do if they happen to be different from one another?

Emily Ortiz27 said:Five-year-old:
WBC 18, ESR 40—child doesn't even have a fever.

Is this just some random infection?

What about the CRP?

@Dana Robinson4/">@@Dana Robinson4
It means the patient was admitted under one specific diagnosis, which was then either confirmed or ruled out. That’s why the admission notes might look different from the discharge summary.

Hey, my CRP came back at 15.7—the lab says the normal range is under 5.
Everything else looks totally fine according to the reference numbers.
My doctor sent me off to get more detailed testing done to check my folate, B12, and Vitamin D levels.
Now I’m stuck reading online about how an elevated CRP can point to all sorts of different things.
I originally went to see her because of a sore throat.
I honestly have no clue why she's focusing on those specific vitamins instead of addressing the other possibilities.
Is this level high enough to signal something serious, or am I overthinking a number that isn't actually that big of a deal?

Andrew Jones12 said:A CRP?

They didn't end up pulling it 🙄
And I didn't even bother going to a private clinic to get it taken out since he didn't have a fever at the time, and now I'm just sitting here kicking myself about it.

Anyone know anything about these tissue typing results?
HLA A2, A24
HLA B44, B62
HLA CW3
HLA DRB1 alleles 07 and 11
Does any of this link to autoimmune stuff? I’ve got a positive ANA, but my RF came back negative
Thanks a ton

Anyone know anything about these tissue typing results?
HLA A2, A24
HLA B44, B62
HLA CW3
HLA DRB1 alleles 07 and 11
Does this have anything to do with autoimmune stuff? I’ve got a positive ANA, but my rheumatoid factor came back negative.
Thanks much

Good day.

I'm looking for some help interpreting these lab results.

Because of my low white blood cell count and iron levels, my doctor is pushing for more testing. I’ve been taking iron supplements for a few years now, but my blood work just won't stabilize within the normal range.
On top of that—my hands often lock up during certain movements, and I have pain in my temples, mostly on the right side. I'm dealing with constant fatigue and exhaustion.

About 12 years ago, I was hospitalized in an immunology ward with a diagnosis of Reactive Arthritis.

I've gone through a mountain of tests, and these are the results that fall outside the normal range:

DAT (combsov test) positive
fibrinogen 3.6 (1.8-3.5) g/L
Anti HBs 0.03 IU/L (should be negative)
Ferritin 5L (13-150) ng/mL
Iron 5 L (8-30)
UIBC 88 H (26-59)
TIBC 93 (49-75)
Transferrin saturation 5L (16-45)
Rheumatoid factor 110H (< 30.0)
ANA (IIF) titer positive ( Anti SS-A/Ro antigen (Ro 60) 71 au/ml (Ref: Neg 40)
Anti SS-A/Ro antigen (Ro 52) 70 au/ml (Ref: Neg 40)
WBC 3.1 L (3.4-9.7)
Basophils 1.4 H (0-1)
Neutrophils 1.66 L (2.06-6.49)
Lymphocytes 0.94 L (1.19-3.35)
ESR 30 H (4-24)
Creatinine 48 L (49-90)
Hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH, and MCHC are all below the reference range, while RDW is high at 20.0 H (9.0-15.0).

An ophthalmologist performed a Schirmer test, which showed extreme dry eyes.

An ultrasound of my submandibular glands, salivary glands, and neck lymph nodes found a 2 cm nodule on my thyroid. I'm currently waiting on the biopsy results. My thyroid hormone levels are all within the normal limits.

If anyone can help me make sense of this, I would really appreciate it.

Emily Ortiz27 said:Does anyone happen to know if there's anywhere in the US besides Mayo Clinic where you can actually get a double-negative T-lymphocyte test done?

Look, just in case anyone else finds themselves stuck in this mess—at Mayo Clinic, they order reagents specifically for each individual patient, which means we're still sitting around waiting, and honestly, it's been over two months now.

The other option would be Johns Hopkins, but they basically only run those tests for their own patients in the hospital.

Quick question for the resident MDs on here:

How fast should sedimentation levels actually bounce back after an infection?

My little guy—he’s five, and we’ve talked about him before—had his labs done on December 6th, and his ESR was sitting at 44 with high white blood cell counts. No fever, just a nasty sore throat, swollen tonsils, and a bunch of congestion.
We didn't even do any specific treatment, but by December 27th, his white cell count was totally back to normal and the sedimentation had dropped to 30.
Is that kind of drop in sedimentation levels actually typical?
And more importantly, is this lingering elevated sedimentation going to mess with the surgery he has scheduled in about two weeks?

Thanks, and I hope everyone has a great holiday season!

Hey there,

I’m looking for some help here:

So, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about this case involving a 53-year-old gentleman—someone who, until recently, had a pretty clean bill of health, aside from the standard routine maintenance of managing blood pressure and cholesterol. It all started after he caught what seemed like a typical, run-of-the-mill intestinal virus characterized by some nasty bouts of diarrhea. But then, things took a rather dramatic turn. He was suddenly struck by this overwhelming muscle and joint pain that was so intense he was practically immobilized. It wasn't just a dull ache, either; his hands, knees, and feet began swelling up, though not all at once—it was more of a rolling wave of inflammation, with one knee bearing the brunt of the agony. He ended up spending six days in the hospital, where the doctors eventually pinned down the culprit: reactive arthritis triggered by enterocolitis. To get him back on his feet, they hit him with a heavy-duty cocktail of medications—specifically Cefuroxime, Indomethacin, and Cortisone. And honestly, the response has been quite encouraging; the swelling has begun to recede, which is a relief, but the pain hasn't quite vanished yet, particularly lingering stubbornly in those knees. It’s much like trying to clear out a flooded basement; even after you've pumped out most of the water, you're still left dealing with the dampness and the structural issues underneath.

So, I’ve been doing a bit of a deep dive lately—one of those rabbit holes that starts with a simple search and ends with me staring at my screen at two in the morning—and I stumbled upon something rather curious regarding Cefuroxime. While digging through the literature, I noticed this specific antibiotic is frequently cited as a treatment for Lyme disease, yet curiously, there isn't a single mention of Lyme in my actual diagnosis. It’s one of those strange gaps in medical documentation that makes you wonder what’s being left out. After spending quite a bit of time cross-referencing symptoms and clinical patterns, I couldn't help but feel that what I'm experiencing aligns almost perfectly with what doctors call Stage 3 Lyme disease—specifically, Lyme arthritis. It’s a strange sensation, feeling like the pieces of the puzzle are right there in front of you, even if the official paperwork hasn't caught up to the reality of the situation just yet.

He’s dealt with tick bites more than once, actually—the most recent one was about a year ago. He lives out in a rural part of the country where the ticks are pretty much everywhere you step.

I actually stumbled upon it just now, tucked away amidst all the paperwork in my discharge summary—honestly, I have no idea how I managed to miss it in the first place:
So, I’ve been staring at these lab results, and it’s one of those classic medical riddles that leaves you feeling a bit suspended in mid-air. The IgM came back negative, which is fine, I suppose, but then we have the IgG showing up positive. It’s like looking at a weather report where it says there’s zero percent chance of rain right now, yet the ground is already soaking wet; you know something happened, even if the immediate indicators aren't screaming it at you. In the context of testing for Lyme, seeing a negative IgM alongside a positive IgG usually suggests that the body has moved past that initial, acute phase and has actually started building up its own internal defense system. It’s less about what’s happening this very second and more about the footprint the infection left behind. It’s a bit like finding an old, faded receipt in a coat pocket from three months ago—the transaction isn't happening right now, but it certainly proves the purchase was made.

If I’m following this correctly—and please correct me if my logic is tripping over itself here—we’re looking at a situation where he’s been carrying this specific bacterium for well over a year. It makes one wonder if the enterocolitis essentially acted like a slow-moving wrecking ball to his immune system, eventually weakening his defenses just enough to allow that bacteria to finally kick into high gear or transition into what we call the third stage. It’s almost like a house where the locks have been rusting away for months, and the storm only finally breaks once the structure is too compromised to hold it out.

The real headache here is that every medical resource I can find insists that for stage three Lyme, you’re looking at a full four-week course of antibiotics. He’s only been on them for two weeks, and then, out of nowhere, they decided to pull the plug on the antibiotics yesterday. They also tapered him off the Indomethacin, which—unsurprisingly—has left him in a world of hurt; his pain levels have spiked, and he's back to struggling just to get around. So now, we’ve just transitioned over to a reduced dose of Cortisone, and honestly, it feels like we're just spinning our wheels.

Am I right to be concerned about Lyme disease? What should my next move be?

Hey there.

My apologies if this has already been covered somewhere; I couldn't find anything similar while searching.
Over the last few months, I’ve been going through a gauntlet of tests because of a bunch of vague, nagging symptoms.

The symptoms: fatigue, total exhaustion, anxiety, frequent headaches, a somewhat irregular cycle (ranging from 21 to 33 days), weight loss, loss of appetite, heart palpitations and skipped beats, dizziness, low blood pressure (90/60), blood in my urine, and spotting or brown discharge outside of my period (somewhere between ovulation and day one).

The tests and results:
- Gynecologist: significant erosion and ectopy of the cervix (confirmed via colposcopy) plus an infection that was treated with oral and topical antibiotics; Pap smear was fine, all cervical swabs came back clear, and all reproductive hormones look okay; the infection is currently under control.
- Cardiologist: Heart ultrasound was relatively fine (mild valve insufficiency, though nothing clinically significant right now), and the EKG Holter was also mostly okay (registered a few supraventricular and ventricular extrasystoles, including one triplet).
- Urine: Urine culture was fine, blood was present only in the first stream, kidneys seem okay (GFR is fine, ultrasound looks good, Creatinine is normal).
- Thyroid: I have Hashimoto's; my anti-TPO and Tg antibodies are quite a bit above the ref interval (I don't have the exact numbers in front of me), but the ultrasound looks fine (not typical for Hashimoto's); I take 50 mcg of Euthyrox, and my TSH, ft3, and ft4 are currently under control.
- Iron: Diagnosed with stage three iron-deficiency anemia—Ferritin is okay but sitting at the lower limit, hemoglobin is 118 (ref is above 119), free iron is 5 (ref is 8-30), TIBC and UIBC are fine; I took a course of Heferol, which bumped my iron up to 16, but it dropped back down to 10 in just a month and a half, so I've been prescribed another course of Heferol.
- Blood Sugar: Fasting is 5.4, HbA1c is at the upper limit—HbA1c percentage is 5.7 (ref up to 5.99), HbA1c is 39 (ref up to 42); I previously had gestational diabetes (first pregnancy required insulin, second pregnancy used only ADA).
- Other: LDH is normal, ACTH at 8 am was low (0.8, ref 1.6-13.9), and blood cortisol at 8 am was okay, though hovering at the bottom end (180, ref 101.7-535.7).

Can anyone make sense of all this?
The ACTH and cortisol levels, along with the dropping iron, probably stand out the most. What could that point toward?

I'm waiting for a follow-up with my endocrinologist to go over these results, but since it's the holidays, everything is dragging on, and honestly, I'm barely functioning because of how exhausted I am.

I forgot to mention that I'm 36 and have two kids (so, two pregnancies behind me, both high-risk and managed with bed rest and tocolytics due to gestational diabetes, contractions, and early dilation—but both ended successfully and full-term).

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Jane

I just had an abdominal ultrasound where they told me my kidneys are packed with sand and there's some mild dilation happening in my right kidney. Since my doctor is out on vacation for another two weeks, can anyone tell me if I actually have something to worry about?

Hey there!

I was wondering—does anyone know what those plus signs actually mean when they show up in a urinalysis (like if it says +, ++, or even +++)?
Also, if the lab report says "bacteria: high", what kind of bacteria are we even talking about there? Is it something specific?

Thanks! 🙂