X-rays are one type of medical diagnostic test.
Doctors use diagnostic tests to help diagnose medical problems. The symptoms a patient is experiencing will determine which type of test a physician will order. A doctor or technician or will usually read these tests after they have been administered in a clinic or hospital and occasionally doctors' offices. There are many types of diagnostic tests physicians use as tools to pinpoint an illness or condition.
Neurological
A doctor may order a diagnostic test to determine a suspected neurological problem. These include carotid Doppler, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain or spine, electromyography (EMG) and spinal taps. A carotid Doppler test is a type of ultrasound that uses sound waves to create images.
MRI tests create detailed images of soft body tissues and show contrasting images. EMG analyzes nerve and muscle electrical activity by a physician inserting needles into the muscles. A spinal tap diagnoses meningitis infections and other conditions by removing a sample of fluid from the space near the spinal cord.
Bones, Joints and Muscles
A doctor may order diagnostic tests on a patient's bones, joints and muscles to check for diseases and other conditions. These tests include bone-density test for osteoporosis, bone scans, X-rays and computed topography (CT) scans. A bone density test uses special X-rays to determine strength and thickness of bones.
In a bone scan, a radioactive "tracer" accumulates in places in the bones that need repair. An X-ray creates an image by projecting radiation into the affected section of the body. This will show bone fractures or deformities. CT scans take pictures throughout the body with a special X-ray machine.
Heart and Circulation
Some heart diagnostic tests are cardiac catheterization, echocardiogram, electrocardiogram (EKG) and electrophysiological study (EPS). Cardiac catheterization takes images of the blood vessels in the heart to show narrowing or other problems.
An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart that shows heart size and any other heart abnormalities. An EKG measures the natural electrical currents that coordinate the heart's pumping. An EPS determines which part of the heart causes a change in rhythm in patients that have an abnormal heart rhythm.
Lungs
Breathing problems or chest pain may urge a doctor to order diagnostic tests on the lungs. A few lung tests are bronchoscopy, mediastinoscopy, oxygen-saturation tests and pulmonary-function tests. A bronchoscope is a long, thin instrument with a small camera and biopsy instrument that is placed through the mouth into the lungs.
Mediastinoscopy is surgery in which doctors access the chest cavity with a small incision. Physicians can remove lymph nodes to examine them for lung disease. An oxygen-saturation test is done with a small clip on the finger and measures if red blood cells carry the adequate oxygen level when they pass through the lungs. Pulmonary-function testing involves breathing through a tube connected to a machine to determine how efficiently air passes in and out of the lungs.
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