To test or not to test? Why blood tests don’t always tell the full story

It can be tempting to believe, when faced with an unwell animal and an anxious owner, that a comprehensive battery of blood tests will solve the case - the more tests the better, right? Undoubtedly, clinical pathology tests are a very important part of the diagnostic tools veterinary practitioners need to diagnose and manage complex diseases in small animal patients. As more tests become available, it is imperative that the practitioner is aware of what test results can mean and how to apply them appropriately to cases. Abnormal or even normal results in an unwell patient can create confusion rather than clarity if they are not critically reviewed as an integral part of the clinical assessment of all data relevant to the patient and related to the presenting problem(s). During this lecture, we will discuss the clinical and non-clinical factors that the clinician must consider when choosing tests and interpreting test results.

• Appreciation of the importance of a rational assessment of the history and clinical examination findings before initiating diagnostic testing
• Appreciation of what test results can mean - when is a positive a true positive? Is every result outside of the reference range of concern?
• Appreciation that clinical pathology testing is a useful tool in assessing an unwell patient, but only if the clinician can interpret the results appropriately in the context of THIS patient
• To recognise that just because a test can be done does not mean it should be done