Blood Tests in Primary Care for Various Conditions

For patients with HIV, routine testing includes CD4 cell count, HIV viral load, complete blood count, and comprehensive metabolic panel, as recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America 1, 2
HIV-specific tests include HIV serology, CD4 cell count and percentage, plasma HIV RNA, and HIV resistance testing, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America 1
Laboratory tests for HIV patients also include liver function tests, total protein/albumin, electrolytes, BUN/creatinine, fasting lipid profile, blood glucose, and urinalysis, as suggested by the Infectious Diseases Society of America 1, 3

Liver Function and Fibrosis Assessment

The European Association for the Study of the Liver recommends that ALT, AST, and platelet count should be part of routine investigations in primary care for patients with suspected liver disease 4
Simple non-invasive fibrosis tests like FIB-4 can be calculated using these parameters to assess liver fibrosis risk, according to the European Association for the Study of the Liver 4
Automatic calculation and systematic reporting of simple non-invasive fibrosis tests is recommended in populations at risk of liver fibrosis, as suggested by the European Association for the Study of the Liver 4

The British Society of Gastroenterology recommends that fecal calprotectin is a useful screening tool for patients aged 16-40 presenting with chronic diarrhea and symptoms that may be consistent with either IBD or IBS 5
For patients with suspected IBD, initial blood tests should include full blood count, urea & electrolytes, CRP, and coeliac screen, as recommended by the British Society of Gastroenterology 5

Fasting lipid profile and blood glucose are standard tests for cardiovascular risk assessment, according to the American Heart Association 1

For patients with suspected acute or recent TIA or non-disabling ischemic stroke, initial laboratory investigations include electrolytes, coagulation studies, renal function, random glucose, and troponin, as recommended by the American Stroke Association 3
Additional tests may include lipid profile and diabetes screening with HbA1c or oral glucose tolerance test, according to the American Stroke Association 3

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that various biological matrices can be used for drug testing, including urine, blood, breath, saliva, sweat, and hair 6
Blood testing is most useful for detecting alcohol and other drug use within 2-12 hours of the test and correlates best with level of impairment, as suggested by the American Academy of Pediatrics 6

The Alzheimer's Association recommends that blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease are emerging but additional data is needed for their use in primary care 7, 8
Current laboratory tests for cognitive assessment focus on ruling out other causes of cognitive impairment, according to the Alzheimer's Association 8

The frequency of testing depends on the patient's condition, risk factors, and treatment regimen, as recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2
The European Association for the Study of the Liver suggests that not considering the prevalence of disease in the population when interpreting test results can lead to lower positive predictive value 4