Your neighborhood ER is available for services beyond just those deemed an emergency. Discover precise and accurate lab testing services, available 24/7, with low wait times for all.

Emergency Room Laboratory Services: Common Diagnostic Tests and Procedures in the ER

What Laboratory Services Can You Expect in an Emergency Room?

Each of our ER of Texas emergency rooms provides fully-equipped, on-site laboratory services to get quick and accurate results so our emergency physicians can determine the proper course of treatment. In most cases, our lab results are available to the emergency physician within a few minutes, allowing our team to make an accurate diagnosis and keep your wait time to a minimum.

See also: Did you know you could visit your neighborhood emergency room for just laboratory services only?

What Laboratory Services Do Emergency Rooms Provide?

The laboratory is an integral part of any ER. The test performed here help to diagnose patients so that they can receive the care that they need. Without a lab, the ER would just not function. If you want to find out what tests you can get at the ER such as ER of Texas, read on and explore the benefits of on-site laboratory services in micro-hospitals.

In an emergency room, you can expect a wide range of laboratory services to be available to diagnose and treat medical emergencies.

What are the different Laboratory Services in the ER?

Here are a few laboratory services that you might find at your neighborhood emergency room:

  • Cardiac Enzymes: An enzyme marker test is used to measure heart damage. This test is ordered when a patient presents signs of a heart attack or stroke.
  • Complete Blood Cell Counts: A blood test that measures a patient’s red and white blood cells count and plasma in proportion to evaluate a patient’s overall health. This blood test is used to diagnose various blood diseases, from anemia to leukemia.
  • Urine Drug Screens: A urine test allows for screening a variety of drugs – illegal and prescription – in a patient’s urine. Employers usually order this test.
  • Urinalysis: This analysis examines the physical and chemical elements of urine. The test is usually ordered during a wellness exam or when specific symptoms are present to look for abnormal levels to diagnose diseases, like elevated levels of sugar could mean diabetes.
  • Liver Panels: This screening is used to assess the health and function of the liver – damage, infection, or inflation. This panel is mainly ordered for those already diagnosed with liver disease or those taking medication known to have side effects that affect the liver.
  • Complete Metabolic Profiles: This is one of the most common lab tests – ordered during health and wellness screenings. This group of 14 tests measures chemical balance and metabolism in the blood.
  • Pregnancy Tests: A pregnancy test measures the level of hCG hormones in the urine or blood to determine if a woman is with child.
  • Strep Testing: To determine the cause of a sore throat, bacteria samples are taken from the back of a patient’s throat by swabbing.
  • Mononucleosis Testing: Specific antibodies in a blood test are looked for to diagnose a mono-infection, or more commonly known as the kissing disease.
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) testing: During this testing, fluid samples are taken from the patient’s nasal secretions to determine if the present infection is RSV.
  • Influenza Testing: Many physicians diagnose the flu without laboratory testing. However, in severe situations, like hospitalization, to rule out any other causes, a nasal or throat swab test is performed.

Emergency room laboratory services are critical for providing rapid diagnosis and treatment of medical emergencies, and they play a vital role in helping emergency room physicians provide timely and effective medical care.

Benefits of an On-site Lab in the ER

  • Timeliness: Some ER visits are the difference between life and death. An on-site laboratory is mandatory for patients to be diagnosed precisely and expeditiously in an emergency.
  • Increased Efficiency: Access to an on-site lab provides faster diagnoses, the implementation of accurate courses of treatment, and quicker pain relief. Also, with increased efficiency within hospital operations, patients’ stress and anxiety about what may be wrong with them, and the possible outcome or diagnoses is reduced.
  • Convenience: An ER with an on-site laboratory provides the convenience of visiting one facility for all your needs. Also, our ER is open and available 24/7, 365 days a year, unlike the doctor’s office, where appointments and long wait times are expected.

Our expert physicians and radiology technicians are skilled in providing our patients with 24/7 laboratory service with low wait times, no matter the severity of the illness.

Our state-of-the-art imaging and diagnostic equipment allow us to provide accurate and timely diagnosis for our patients, including X-rays, CT scans, and ultrasounds. To find out if we offer the testing you need, call, or come on in to ER of Texas for quick and accurate results.

We have 9 facilities spread across the DFW area that are OPEN 24/7 located in Hurst, Colleyville, Frisco, Highland Village, Hillcrest, Uptown, Little Elm, Mansfield, and Texoma.

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