The Wilmington morning star., 1946-10-15
Doctor Says
HOSPITAL TESTS
CHECK DISEASES
BY WILLIAM A. O'BRIEN NJ

by A. OBRIEN. NJ n
Most hospitals perform a nrn
Der of clinical laboratory tests on
every patient at the time of b.
admission. The American Hoqn;+.l
Association, the United Sfato.
Public Health Service, and the N,
Itional tuberculosis Assocjation
recommend that an X-ray cbos.
examination be conducted at t5a
same time.
The purpose of these tests And
X-ray examinations is to detaot
disease which is not discovered Nv
physical examination. In somo Nv
stances the condition is mild. Will,
in others no SYMPTOMS of anv kim
are present.
The Urine and blood are USUALLY
tested. The urine test NAV revas,
the presence of albumin. sligar
blood, or pus. No examination ~
a hospital patient is considered
complete without a urine test.
The blood is tested for the
amount of hemoglobin (red color.
ing matter, and the White coll,
are counted, for an increase in
their number denotes probable in.
lection.
Less commonly performed ara
counts Of the red blood cells and
examination under the microscona
of stained smears of the red and
white cells.
Some hospitals require that
blood test for syphilis be perform.
ed on all entering patients. Blood
specimens are filed by number 10
avoid Identification with any pa.
tents name, thus avoiding EN-.
barrassment when syphilis is dis.
covered.
A single positive test is not con.
elusive. Several tests must be
made before the syphilis diagnosis
can be confirmed.
X-ray examination of the chest
may disclose unsuspected tubercu.
losis, heart disease, cancer, Or
other conditions.
Beginning tuberculosis does not
cause symptoms until the disease
is fairly well established, and dis.
covery in the earliest stage offers
the best chance of cure.
A small growth in the lung may
be benign. If malignant, it can be
removed.
In case of heart disease, the
shape of the heart on X-ray eX.
animation amy reveal the kind Of
heart disease which is present.
In hospitals where routine X-ray
chest examinations are made,
physicians have found them Of the
greatest value in discovering dis
ease which was not evident on
physical examination.
Twenty million adults in the
United States have had special X.
ray examinations made of their
chests in the last five years, Oh
every 1000 persons so examined, I
IL showed evidence of tuberculosis
and IL of other chest disease.
Since one person in every 10
enters a hospital each year, tle
adoption by all hospitals of a rou'
tine X-ray chest examination
would uncover many cases Of u'
suspected tuberculosis as well as
of other chest diseases.
QUESTION: 1 am a patient in
tuberculosis sanatorium. My phys'
clan tells me that l am recovering
satisfactorily. If I should stay on
after my disease is arrested
would it not be possible for me TO
contract another infection from
one of the patients?
ANSWER: tuberculosis r%einiec'
ton is avoided by practicing the
ordinary rules Of hygiene. Iu0ef
culosis sanatorium attendants N
not contract tuberculous i%nfectloa
except in rare instances, because
they practice those rules. Follow
ing recovery from tuberculos@
ones resistance to the infection Is
raised, and this fact gives y@
further protection.