Whether you see your doctor for a routine checkup or because you aren't feeling well, you may need lab services. Many decisions medical providers make about your care rely on lab results.
Experts at UPMC test blood, urine, and body tissues to help your doctor:
- Understand your overall health.
- Find out what's causing your illness or diagnose a disease.
- Decide the best treatment plan for you.
Conditions We Help Diagnose and Treat
Your provider may order lab work to help diagnose and treat many health issues, including:
- Cancer. Biopsies can check if blood or tissue samples contain cancer.
- Diabetes. Using blood sugar tests, doctors can check for gestational diabetes, pre-diabetes, and type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Urine samples may give more details.
- High cholesterol. A lipid profile looks at levels of cholesterol, lipids, and triglycerides in your blood. High cholesterol can lead to heart disease.
- Bladder or urinary tract infections. Through urine samples, doctors can look for bacteria, yeast, or other germs that can cause these infections.
What Lab and Pathology Services Do We Offer?
UPMC offers a full spectrum of lab services, such as:
- Biopsies and lab tests.
- Diagnostic services.
Biopsies and lab tests
Your doctor may order one or more of the following tests:
Your doctor or medical provider will explain what these tests involve and what you need to do before each.
Diagnostic services
To help diagnose and track disease, our experts use the following testing methods:
About Our Lab Services Team
UPMC has many lab services locations in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Our team includes expert pathologists and staff who often have earned advanced degrees in laboratory sciences.
Benefits to you
UPMC lab services use:
- Advanced testing instruments.
- Automation systems, such as barcode technology.
- State-of-the-art molecular techniques.
Lab services have systems in place to:
- Improve patient safety.
- Improve test turnaround time for prompt diagnosis.
- Provide more precise and correct test results.
