help me, obi-wan flist

[mickeym]

Question for those who might know:

Character A goes to the local free (or not, but in this case it is) clinic for a persistant cough/fever. The doctor wants to do xrays to rule out pneumonia, but Character A can't remember when she last had her period, so she orders a pregnancy test. Would it be a blood test, or something on the order of a pee-on-a-stick test? If it's a blood test, how quickly do the results come back?

Thank you!

Comments

[janissa11.livejournal.com]

I believe in a clinic setting it's still a urinalysis, although it tests for pregnancy in addition to other stuff. Results in about an hour, if there's a lab handy.

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

BLESS YOU. *smooch*

*sings* Guess who's about to get a really BIG surprise? ;)

[janissa11.livejournal.com]

Is it who I think?????

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

IT IS! Eeeeee! *cuddles the boys*

[iconis.livejournal.com]

[is scared] ;P

Might I catch you for a longer bit of IMing today, darling? Still sick and homebound. :(

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

As well you should be *g*

Sure, I can chat--but it won't be for a few hours, until I'm home from work. I'll be home...yeah, in three hours, and probably online about half an hour after that.

*snuggles you*

[zortified.livejournal.com]

It would be a psych test, as Character A is male.

runs

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

Nope, Character A isn't male at all ;) Maybe at one time, but not any more... :P

*runs after you*

[leighm.livejournal.com]

I think usu. it's a urinalysis. We sometimes will do blood tests though.

The results for either don't take long. Usu. the same day, hour or so.

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

Awesome :) Thank you! *g*

[rainbow.livejournal.com]

pee test, and it only takes an hour or 2i think.

are chest xrays common now to r/o pneux? the body used tohave something in the pneux, pneumonitis, bronchitis range at least once a year and i dont think any of the drs ever ordered x rays even when the first bout of antibx didnt work, they just did cultures and then rxed whatever worked on the culture.

[mickeym.livejournal.com]

I don't know if they're common or not, but this doctor's being thorough (and MY doctor always does an xray *shrug*), and it's kind of a plot device to get to the next thing :)

[rainbow.livejournal.com]

wow, even our regular drs never did, and the clinics always just wrote a rx (had to go to a regular dr to even get a culture). that is so neat that your clinic does!

[janissa11.livejournal.com]

In the US it's hard to find docs who will not do a chest radiograph if pneumonia is suspected. In fact (if their clinic is equipped for it) they might do a CT as well.

In a free clinic they often don't have access to radiology facilities. They'll often write a prescription for an x-ray to be done at a different facility. For ex, I work with folks coming in from our community health clinic for x-rays. Most have Medicaid; some are self-pay. Because we are not associated with the comm health clinic, we do charge for self-pays, but it's a flat $25, and folks who absolutely cannot pay may be allowed to have the x-ray anyway (we also aren't the county hospital -- there, there is a blue-card program that allows for various kinds of coverage on a charity basis).

When I was uninsured (well, Cobra, same diff) and had pneumonia, it was dxed by the sound of my chest. The doc said, "I'd do an x-ray, but your insurance won't cover it. But I can hear the pneumonia. Take these drugs, come back if it doesn't get better."

[icalynn.livejournal.com]

Technically a free clinic wouldn't do a chest x-ray. Would order antibiotics and call it good. If they still have symptoms they might do an x-ray.

They'd do a urine test, the results would be pretty quick, a few minutes. In our ER we have special sticks that are like a typical pregnancy test.

[aynslee.livejournal.com]

I got the urine results in 7 minutes exactly, and the blood test results were about 4 hours later.

YAY!!!!!!! :D

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

I'm totally surprised to see these answers that it takes a lab and an hour or two for the pregnanacy results. We had the same sticks you'd buy in the drug store, and sometimes the radiology department or the family planning bods would send women to us. They'd pee on the stick and get the results in 3 minutes, same as you would at home.

this country baffles and upsets me when it comes to health care. [/soapbox]

[thehighwaywoman.livejournal.com]

*is intrigued!*

[ruby-jelly.livejournal.com]

Here in Aus we pee first, blood test second - financial considerations I guess.

[giogio.livejournal.com]

Pee-on-a-stick :)