5 Lab Tests That Can Be Performed In-House

If you’re experiencing symptoms of an illness, the last thing you want to do is wait several days or longer or schedule multiple appointments for answers. The same may apply after a standard physical, too, when you simply want to make sure you’re healthy. In both cases, in-house laboratories can help.

By obtaining samples for particular conditions and analyzing them in our onsite labs, our team at Jeffery Tun, MD, with offices in Midtown East, Forest Hills, and the Queens neighborhoods in New York City, helps ensure that you get peace of mind, a diagnosis, and the care you need quickly. 

Read on to learn more about these tests, including five types we regularly perform in-house.

What to expect from your in-house lab test

Relying on an in-house lab instead of a third-party lab means that you won’t need to make multiple appointments at various locations. During your exam, Dr. Tun may recommend a variety of laboratory tests depending on factors like your overall health, your current symptoms, and any exposure you may have had to an infection. 

Once a test has been ordered, a small sample of your blood, saliva, or urine will be taken using a special device that makes the process easier. A hand-held vein finder allows us to find an appropriate vein easily to avoid unnecessary poking.

While some lab tests require a small swab of your throat, others require the insertion of a small needle to draw a particular amount of blood. For a complete blood count (CBC) test, for example, up to 30 milliliters (mL) of your blood may be taken, or enough to fill a few small sample containers. Given how much blood the body contains — up to 5,700 mL on average — this is a very modest amount.

Regardless of the type of test you have, the process shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

In-house lab tests we perform

Five of the most common in-lab tests we perform at Jeffery Tun, MD include:

1. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which isolate foreign DNA from your bodily fluid to test for at least 30 different kinds of pathogens
2. Sexually transmitted disease (STD) tests, which checks your urine or a swab from your genitals for common STDs, such as herpes, chlamydia, and human papillomavirus (HPV)
3. Urinary tract infection (UTI) tests, which test your urine sample for harmful bacteria or microbes
4. Upper respiratory infection test, which tests a throat swab or your blood for signs of infection
5. COVID-19 tests, which analyze a sample from your sinuses using a long swab to check for the the virus

Once we run your sample through our lab, we’ll contact you to discuss your results. In many cases, you’ll hear from us within a day or so. From there, we’ll recommend your next best steps.

If we highly suspect a particular infection, such as a UTI, we may get you started on antibiotics while you await your results to bring you quick relief and stave off complications. 

To learn more about in-house lab tests or to get started with the care you need, call one of our offices or request an appointment through our website today.