Medical Tests & Exams

• Prenatal Tests: FAQs

  Every parent-to-be hopes for a healthy baby, but it can be hard not to worry. Find out what tests can keep you informed of your health — and your baby’s — throughout pregnancy.

• Prolactin Blood Test

  A prolactin test helps doctors diagnose problems in the pituitary gland and other conditions, like irregular periods.

• Prothrombin Time (PT) Blood Test

  A prothrombin time (PT) test helps check for bleeding or clotting problems and can show doctors if blood-thinning medicine is working.

• Pulse Oximetry (Pulse Ox)

  Pulse oximetry, a simple test that measures the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, may give the first clue that there is a heart or lung problem.

• Reticulocyte Count Blood Test

  A reticulocyte count test shows how many new red blood cells a child’s bone marrow is making and can help diagnose some kinds of anemia.

• Sleep Study (Polysomnogram)

  A sleep study (or polysomnogram) helps doctors diagnose sleep problems. It is an overnight test that can record a variety of body functions while a child sleeps.

• Somatomedin C (IGF-1) Blood Test

  A somatomedin C (IGF-1) test can help check for pituitary gland disorders and problems with the production of growth hormone.

• Spinal Cord Injuries

  A spinal cord injury is when the spinal cord gets cut, bruised, stretched, or poked. It can change the way the body moves, feels, and functions.

• Spinal Tap (Lumbar Puncture)

  Find out how and why doctors perform lumbar punctures (spinal taps).

• Spirometry

  Spirometry measures how much and how quickly someone breathes in and out. It can help diagnose and monitor diseases that make it hard to breathe.