1st order laboratory parameters – obligatory laboratory tests.
- Small blood count [due toanemia (anemia): see below anemia/laboratory diagnostics].
- Differential blood count
- Inflammatory parameters – CRP (C-reactive protein) or ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate).
- Urine status (rapid test for: pH, leukocytes, nitrite, protein, glucose, ketone, urobilinogen, bilirubin, blood), sediment, if necessary urine culture (pathogen detection and resistogram, that is, testing suitable antibiotics for sensitivity / resistance).
- Ferritin (iron storage protein) – if iron deficiency anemia (anemia due to iron deficiency) is suspected.
- Fasting glucose (fasting blood glucose), if necessary oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT).
- Renal parameters – urea, creatinine, if necessary cystatin C or creatinine clearance.
- NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide) – if heart failure (cardiac insufficiency) is suspected.
- Troponin T (TnT) – in suspected myocardial infarction (heart attack) [see below myocardial infarction/laboratory diagnostics].
- Total protein, albumin – for suspected malnutrition, malnutrition, etc.
Laboratory parameters 2nd order – depending on the results of the history, physical examination, etc. – for differential diagnostic clarification.
- Creatinine coefficient (amount of creatinine excreted in urine in 24h/kg body mass; men: 20-26, women: 14-22) – for evaluation of nutritional status.
- Hemolysis signs – values such as LDH ↑ (lactate dehydrogenase), HBDH ↑ (hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase), reticulocytes ↑, haptoglobin ↓, and indirect bilirubin ↑ indicating hemolysis (dissolution of red blood cells).
- Detection of specific porphyria precursor levels in urine – qualitative urine test for porphobilinogen (PBG); if positive, quantitative measurements of porphobilinogen (PBG) and delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) [see below Porphyrias/Lab Diagnostics].
- Catecholamine metabolites in plasma – in suspected pheochromocytoma [see below pheochromocytoma/laboratory diagnostics].
- Autoantibodies: ANA (antinuclear antibodies), direct immunofluorescence (DIF) – in suspected scleroderma [see below Scleroderma/Lab Diagnostics].
- Bone marrow aspiration with cytology, cytogenetics, histology, immunophenotyping – in suspected myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS); neuroblastoma.
- Lymph node extirpation (surgical removal of the lymph node) or biopsy (tissue sampling) of the affected tissue – for unclear lymph node enlargement.
- Vitamins: A, E, D, B12, folic acid – if malnutrition (malnutrition) or malnutrition is suspected.
- Minerals: magnesium, phosphate – if malnutrition (malnutrition) or malnutrition is suspected.
- Trace element: zinc – on suspicion of malnutrition (malnutrition) or malnutrition.
- Celiac disease serology: transglutaminase antibody (tTG) or endomysium antibody (EMA)/ endomysium IgA and transglutaminase IgA – for details see below Celiac disease / laboratory diagnostics.